


Tales from Pete's World 1a – Early Days

by SciFiFanForever



Series: Tales from Pete's World [15]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2020-09-29
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:47:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 29,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26597035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SciFiFanForever/pseuds/SciFiFanForever
Summary: A little vignette detailing the early days for Rose and Jackie after their arrival in "Pete's World".
Series: Tales from Pete's World [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/131940
Comments: 4
Kudos: 7





	1. Arrival

**Author's Note:**

> When I rewrote and added the Dimension Cannon chapters to “In The Beginning” and re-read the story, I realised that to keep the story moving along I skipped over the early days when Rose and Jackie arrived in “Pete’s World”. This little vignette details those early days.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose and Jackie find themselves in a strange, new world.

****

**Chapter 1**

**Arrival**

  
  
  


Rose Marion Tyler was born on the twenty seventh of April, nineteen eighty seven, and was reported missing, presumed dead along with her mother on the eighth of July, twenty ten.

At least that's what the official records said.

  
  


**Tyler Mansion.**

**Highgate, London.**

**Thursday, 8th July 2010.**

**16:00.**

  
  


‘Alistair, may I introduce Rose, Marion Tyler. My long lost, and now found daughter,’ Pete Tyler told his house manager. ‘She has been studying at college in Switzerland, away from media attention. When the Cybermen attacked, I sent Jackie away to stay with her until she had finished her course. And now we are back together as a family.’ He had his arm around her shoulder in a protective, fatherly way. She was looking down at her hands, still full of sorrow for her lost Doctor.

‘She has lost someone today, someone very close and . . . Anyway, please show her all the kindness and patience you can.’ That was a message for him to keep his sarcasm under wraps for now.

Alistair stood up. ‘Understood sir, I shall go and inform the staff of the developments and curtail the gossip.’ He left the room and closed the door behind him.

Pete looked into Rose’s eyes. ‘Believe it or not Rose, I know part of what you are going through, I went through it three years ago. I know about the pain, the sorrow and the guilt and how it makes you feel ill.’

Rose’s eyes started to fill with tears again.

‘But it does get better. You can trust me on this,’ he said with his roguish smile. ‘It just takes time is all.’

An elderly, dark skinned woman wearing dark glasses, entered the room, whom Rose and Jackie recognised immediately as Mickey Smith’s grandmother.

‘Ah, Rita Anne. We have some new arrivals who will be living here,’ Pete said. ‘This is my wife Jackie,’

‘Hello Rita Anne. How are ya?’ Jackie said, shaking her hand.

‘Nice to meet you Jackie. I’m doing a lot better these days, thanks to your husband,’ she joked.

‘Glad to hear it,’ Jackie said with a laugh.

‘But I thought you had perished when the Cybermen attacked the house,’ Rita Anne said.

‘Er, yeah. There was a lot of confusion that night,’ Jackie told her.

‘Yes. Sorry about that Rita Anne. That was a cover story I put out to cover the fact that Jacks had post traumatic stress,’ Pete explained. ‘We didn’t want the media intruding while she recovered, so I sent her to Switzerland to be with her daughter . . . our daughter. I meant to say, our daughter.’

‘Your daughter?’ Rita Anne asked.

‘Yes, this is our daughter, Rose,’ Pete said.

‘Hello,’ Rose said quietly as she shook Rita Anne’s hand.

Rita Anne held on to Rose’s hand. ‘Nice to meet you, Rose. But tell me child, whatever’s the matter?’

‘I . . . I . . .’ Rose started to fill up again.

‘She’s been through a very traumatic experience,’ Jackie explained. ‘She’s lost someone who was very important to her.’

Rita Anne gently tugged Rose’s hand towards her. ‘Oh, you poor dear. Come and sit down and tell me all about it.’ She put an arm around Rose’s shoulder as the tears started to flow. ‘Pete. Do you think we could get some tea?’

Pete had a lopsided smile on his face. He thought this was his house. ‘I’ll get Jenny to bring some in.’ He looked at Jackie, and gestured to the door with his head for them to leave.

‘So tell me about this important person,’ Rita Anne said kindly.

‘He’s called the Doctor,’ Rose started quietly. ‘He’s amazin’, an’ he’s saved the world so many times . . .’ She had a sob. ‘An’ he’s in another universe where I’ll never see ‘im again.’

‘Is this the man Ricky has told me about?’ Rita Anne asked.

‘Who?’ Rose queried in confusion.

‘My Grandson, Ricky. I’m sorry. I thought you were the Rose he keeps talking about. “The Doctor and Rose” he would say.’

‘Oh, Ricky. Yeah. Of course. Yeah, that’s ‘im,’ Rose explained.

‘Well, my dear. I might not know about other universes, but I do know about love. And believe me, love can conquer anything. If you love each other as much as it seems, then even separate universes will not keep you apart,’ Rita Anne said with a smile.

‘It’s not that easy though,’ Rose said sadly.

‘The Lord moves in mysterious ways my child, his wonders to perform. Keep your faith in him and in your Doctor, because faith can move mountains,’ Rita Anne told her with conviction. ‘It may not be how or when you expect it, but if it is meant to be . . . it will be.’

There had always been something about Rita Anne which impressed Rose. Her faith was unshakeable, which gave her an unshakeable conviction. ‘Do you really think so?’

‘I might be blind, but it doesn’t mean I can’t see,’ Rita Anne said with a chuckle. The tea arrived, and Rita Anne listened as Rose continued to tell her about the Doctor.

Half an hour later, Pete popped his head around the door. ‘Rose? Sorry to interrupt, but Alice DiMaggio is here to see you.’

‘Oh, right . . . Who?’ Rose replied.

‘She’s a counsellor from Torchwood,’ Pete explained and saw the look Rose gave him. ‘Er, Torchwood here is clean. We cleared out the old regime. You can talk to Alice . . . if you want. She’s a good listener.’

‘You go on, Rose,’ Rita Anne encouraged. ‘She’s a professional listener . . . I’m just an amatuer.’

Rose smiled at her and followed Pete out of the room. He led her down the hallway to his office, where a woman with dark, shoulder length, permed hair was sitting in one of the leather chairs. She stood up and held out her hand.

‘Hi. You must be Rose. My name’s Alice.’

Rose gave her a suspicious look. ‘Hello.’

‘It’s a bit stuffy in this office,’ Alice said, and smiled at Pete. ‘No offence Pete. Shall we have a walk in the garden? It’s a lovely afternoon out there.’

‘If yer like,’ Rose replied with a shrug.

Alice smiled at her and led the way to the french windows and out onto the manicured lawn.

‘Pete has brought me up to speed on who you are and where you are from,’ Alice began. ‘He tells me you’ve had a bit of a traumatic experience today. I’m a psychologist and counsellor for Torchwood. If you want to talk about it, I can listen.’

‘Torchwood caused all of the trauma,’ Rose said accusingly.

‘I can understand how that would make you distrust me,’ Alice said. ‘I had the same issue with Pete after the Cybermen incident in twenty-oh-seven.’

‘Why Pete?’ Rose asked in surprise.

‘He worked for John Lumic when the Cybermen were activated. My partner, David . . .’ Alice faltered at the memory of that night. ‘He, he walked into the Battersea factory and I never saw him again . . . I hope he was rejected and they deleted him . . . because the alternative is unthinkable.’

‘Oh-my-God. I’m so sorry,’ Rose said. She’d been in that factory with Pete, and she’d seen what had happened to the people in there.

Alice smiled at her. ‘It took a lot of counselling for me to come to terms with it, even as a psychologist. I was so impressed with the counsellor that I did the course and became a counsellor myself.’

‘And you trust Pete now?’ Rose asked.

‘He was my first patient while I trained. We helped each other to learn to trust again.’ Alice stopped by a stand of conifers on the edge of the lawn and took a deep breath, enjoying the smell of fresh pine. ‘So, Rose. Do you want to tell me what happened today?’

Rose took a deep breath as well. ‘It all seemed so normal. I hadn’t seen my mum for a while, so we dropped in to see her, and she was so pleased to see us.’

‘Us?’ Alice queried.

‘Me and the Doctor. We travelled together, before . . .’ Rose faltered.

‘Before he died?’ Alice asked.

‘He might as well have done,’ Rose said, wiping her wet cheeks with her fingers.

Alice reached into her jacket pocket and took out a packet of tissues. They were standard issue for a counsellor and she handed the packet to Rose. ‘Here.’

‘Thanks. No, he’s not dead, thank God. But he’s in my universe and I’m stuck in this one,’ Rose explained.

‘And there’s no chance of getting back to your universe?’ Alice asked. Working for Torchwood and talking to Pete, the idea of an alternate universe was not an outrageous concept.

‘I don’t know . . . I don’t think so. He sealed off the breach so that the Cybermen and Daleks couldn’t come here. He kept sayin’ that travel between universes was impossible. But we’ve done it so many times now . . . Oh, I just don’t know.’

‘So you’ll probably never be able to see him again, just as I will never see my David again?’ Alice explained. ‘Can I ask you Rose, were you lovers?’

‘NO!’ Rose exclaimed. ‘No. We were . . . Oh I don’t know. We were more than friends. We said we were goin’ to be together forever. I suppose I hoped that eventually . . .’ She let that sentence fade away. It was all irrelevant now.

‘So what happened that made you end up here?’ Alice asked, redirecting Rose’s thoughts away from what she had lost.

‘Torchwood in our universe was corrupt. They’d been openin’ the breach to try and harness the power from it. But the Cybermen came through and started kickin’ off. And then the Daleks came out of the void ship and we had to stop them.’

‘You mentioned the Daleks before. Who are they?’ Alice asked.

‘Armour plated robots. Worse than the Cybermen. The Doctor said just one of them could wipe out everyone on Earth. That’s why we had to draw them back through the breach and seal it so they’d be stuck between universes,’ Rose explained.

‘And did something go wrong?’

Rose sniffed back the tears. ‘Yeah. Yer could say that. There were two levers holding the breach open. My lever went off line so I had to try and lock it back in place. The pull from the breach was really strong though and I couldn’t hold on.’

‘Oh Rose,’ Alice said, reaching out and squeezing her arm. ‘That must have been terrifying for you.’

‘Yeah. I thought I was goin’ to die for sure. But that didn’t seem important. I could see the Doctor’s face. He was screaming my name as he reached out to me. He looked more terrified than I was.’

‘I would imagine he felt responsible for getting you into that situation,’ Alice reasoned.

‘But it was my choice,’ Rose told her. ‘He tried to send me here so I’d be safe, but I went back for him.’

‘You went back because of him. That would make him feel responsible. So how did you survive falling into the breach?’

‘At the last second, Pete jumped in and caught me. I just had time to look over my shoulder and see his face before I ended up here,’ Rose said with a far away look in her teary eyes.

‘And that image keeps popping into your mind, doesn’t it?’ Alice asked.

‘Yeah, it does,’ Rose agreed.

‘You will go through a grieving process, Rose, Alice told her. ‘Shock and denial is the first stage, and it’s not unusual to respond to the intense feelings by pretending the loss or change isn’t happening. Denying it gives you time to more gradually absorb the news and begin to process it. It’s a common defense mechanism to help numb you to the intensity of the situation.’

‘First stage?’ Rose asked. ‘How many stages are there?’

‘Well, some use the five stage model, and others the seven stage.’

‘And what are they? What can I expect to go through?’

‘They’re not fixed, and can merge or change order, depending on what you’ve experienced and how you react,’ Alice told her. ‘When you are no longer in denial, it’s common to feel the pain of your loss, and guilt at making everyone's life a misery because you are so sad.’

‘I can feel the pain right now,’ Rose informed her with tears in her eyes.

Alice tried to comfort her by rubbing her arm. ‘Anger is usually the third stage, combined with bargaining. For you it might be directed at the other Torchwood for opening the breach in the first place. At the Cybermen for kicking off. Even at the Doctor for not having a better plan.’

‘I could never be angry at him,’ Rose said quickly.

‘You’d be surprised,’ Alice replied. ‘But then you start to think, “If only that lever hadn’t come loose”. “If only I’d had a safety line, or been able to hold on to that lever for a little longer”. “If only Pete had jumped in earlier by the lever and held on to me”.’

‘Yeah. That’s what keeps goin’ through my head whenever I think about what happened,’ Rose confessed.

‘The one to watch out for is stage four. That’s depression. “What’s the point of going on if he’s not here?”. “I can’t cope without him”. This stage can make you physically ill. I want you to promise you will call me anytime, night or day if you ever feel like this,’ Alice stressed.

‘Yeah. Okay, I will. I promise,’ Rose agreed.

‘Good. When you get through depression, you reach the upward turn, where you start to see things in a more positive light and take stock of your situation.’ 

‘Wha’, like be thankful for what I’ve got sort of thing?’

‘That’s the kind of thing, yes. Your thoughts are more rational and calm. That’s when you reach the stage of reconstruction and working through, where you start putting your life back together. And then finally, you reach acceptance.’ Alice saw Rose’s face, and intercepted her next comment. ‘It doesn’t mean you give up and forget him. It means you can see the light at the end of the tunnel. You stop surviving one day at a time, and start living for tomorrow.’

‘Hmm.’ Rose wasn’t convinced about that at the moment.

‘I know stage seven can seem like the summit of Everest,’ Alice told her. ‘And you’re only at the base camp. But, just like a climber with a Sherpa, we can climb that mountain and reach the summit.’

Rose gave a weak, sad laugh. ‘Rita Anne said I’ve got to move that mountain, not climb it.’

They strolled back towards the house and Alice gave Rose her Torchwood business card. ‘I’ll come and see you tomorrow, but if it gets too much for you, give me a call. Anytime.’

‘Thanks Alice,’ Rose said and they kissed cheeks. 

Alice went to find Pete to say goodbye, whilst Rose entered the Drawing Room through the french windows.

_“We could have been anyone,”_ Rose remembered saying in this room as they carried trays of champagne and canapes.

_“Got us in, didn't it?”_ the Doctor had countered.

_“You're in charge of the psychic paper. We could've been guests. Celebrities. Sir Doctor, Dame Rose. We end up serving. Did enough of this back home,”_ She’d complained.

_“If you want to know what's going on, work in the kitchens. According to Lucy, that man over there . . .”_ he’d said.

_“Who's Lucy?”_ she’d wondered at the time.

_“She's carrying the salmon pinwheels.”_

_“Oh, that's Lucy, is it?”_

_‘Yeah . . . Lucy says, that is the President of Great Britain,”_ he’d declared. That’s when they found this world wasn’t just different because of Zepplins.

_“What, there's a President, not a Prime Minister?”_

_“Seems so.”_

_“Or maybe Lucy's just a bit thick.”_

  
  


+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

  
  


Rose moved her food around the plate as everyone else ate their evening meal. Jackie looked on with a worried expression.

‘So, we’re goin’ back in on Monday, Pete?’ Mickey asked, confirming that they were having Friday off and making a long weekend of it.

‘I reckon we’ve earned a bit of time off after today’s efforts,’ Pete told him.

‘Is there somethin’ wrong with yer food, Rose?’ Jackie asked. ‘I think the cook is still here. What was her name Pete?’

‘Margaret.’

‘That’s it, Margaret. I’m sure she could knock up somethin’ else if yer want.’

‘No. It’s just that I’m not hungry,’ she told her.

‘Oh, but Margaret is a wonderful cook,’ Rita Anne said. ‘It would be a crime to ignore her marvellous gift.’ She leaned in close to Rose. ‘And you must keep your strength up for when your faith moves that mountain,’ she added quietly.

‘What was that?’ Jackie asked.

‘Just a little conversation Rose and myself had earlier,’ Rita Anne told her.

Rose gathered some of the food on her fork and put it in her mouth. ‘Mmmm. Actually, that’s very nice.’

She had half a dozen mouthfuls of food, but after the trauma of the day, that was all she could manage. She had no appetite.

‘I think I’ll turn in early. It’s been a hell of a day,’ Rose announced.

‘Of course, Sweetheart. You go an’ get some rest. Maybe you’ll feel better in the mornin’,’ Jackie said.

‘Jenny’s made up a room for you,’ Pete told her. ‘Mickey, do you want to show her where it is?’

‘Yeah. Sure. C’mon Rose. I’ll take you up,’ Mickey said.

At the foot of the grand staircase, Rose had another one of the flashbacks Alice warned her about.

  
  


_“Excuse me! Thank you very much. Thank you if I could just have your attention, please?”_

_“Pete! Go on, Pete!”_

_“Thank you very much!”_

_“It's about time you did some work.”_

_“I thought you liked them young?”_

_“Um, I'd just like to say thank you to you all, for coming on this, this very special occasion. My wife's . . . thirty ninth.”_

_“Don't believe that one.”_

“ _Trust me on this . . . And so, without any further ado, here she is, the birthday girl. My lovely wife, Jackie Tyler.”_

  
  


‘Rose? You okay?’ Mickey asked, bringing her out of her memories.

‘Yeah. Just rememberin’ when we were here before,’ she explained.

‘Oh yeah. You and the Boss were in here when it all kicked off, weren’t ya,’ Mickey said as they climbed the steps.

Mickey led the way along the hallway and stopped at a door. ‘There yer go, Babe. This is yours.’

‘Okay. Thanks Mickey. I’ll see ya in the mornin’.’

Mickey awkwardly and hesitantly moved forward and kissed her on the cheek. ‘See ya in the mornin’.’

Rose stepped through the door into a wood panelled room with tall windows opposite which had a cushioned seat on the windowsill, overlooking a grassy bank with a copse of trees to the south side of the house. There was a low glass table in front of the window seat, a small dining table against the left hand wall, an “L” shaped sofa in the middle of the room, and two doors on the right hand wall.

‘Blimey,’ Rose said to herself. Under different circumstances, she might have enjoyed these surroundings.

She tried the nearest door and looked inside, to find an en-suite bathroom. The second door opened onto a bedroom which contained a large bed with flower patterned, padded headboard. 

On the bed, a pair of hospitality, one-size-fits-all pyjamas had been laid out for her. It was then she realised that it wasn’t just the Doctor she’d lost. She’d lost everything. All she had to show for twenty two years of her life, were the clothes on her back.

She wearily stripped off, put on the pyjamas and climbed into bed. The mattress was really comfortable and the duvet was warm, she closed her eyes, curled up into the foetal position and began to weep until an exhausted sleep took her.


	2. A Stranger In A Strange Land

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jackie and Rose wake up in a new world. But they have very different feelings about being there.

**Chapter 2**

**A Stranger In A Strange Land**

  
  
  


It was late morning when Pete’s eyes reluctantly opened and let in the dim light of the curtained room. They wouldn’t have been so reluctant if they’d have known what was waiting for them.

He just lay there and took in the face of his sleeping wife. He could see the hard life that she’d had etched on the lines on her face. Not unattractive lines, but character lines that, to him, made her more appealing.

That sixth sense that tells you when someone is watching you kicked in and she started to stir. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked puzzled, then amazed and finally blissfully happy.

‘It wasn’t a dream then? You’re real,’ she said in a quiet voice.

‘Does this feel real?’ He kissed her gently at first and then she returned the kiss more passionately.

‘Oh yes!’ she squeaked breathlessly.

He gave her that “Pete Tyler” smile and reached for the bedside table where a tiny earpiece was waiting to be reunited with his ear. It was Torchwood tech and all the staff in the mansion had them so that they could work more efficiently.

‘Alistair.’ They were voice activated on a closed Intranet, say a name and it connects you to that person. ‘Could you rustle up some breakfast please . . . Thanks.’

‘That’s a bit flash!’ Jackie said with a smile. Pete just grinned at her.

A breakfast of tea and toast arrived on trays, with a choice of butter or marmalade, and when they’d finished a realisation came to Pete that had occurred to Rose the night before.

‘I’ve just thought, you’ve got no clothes,’ he said.

Jackie grinned and looked under the duvet. ‘I’d have thought you’d have noticed that last night, as you’re the one who took ‘em off.’

He laughed. ‘No, I mean all you’ve got to wear is what you came in.’

‘Jenny . . . Could you pull my wife’s things from storage . . . Yeah, have them sent to our room please . . . Thank you.’ Jackie gave him a questioning look.

‘I didn’t have the heart to get rid of them. Eventually I would have sent them to a charity organisation for auction or somethin’.’ He had another one of those pangs of guilt. Was he being unfaithful to the memory of his dead wife? ‘Anyway, some of the stuff might be a bit flamboyant for you, keep what you like and we’ll send the rest to good causes.’

Jackie kissed him on the cheek. ‘It’s all right to talk about her y’know. I want to know about your life here, what it was like before I came.’ Her eyes then went wide with a realisation that Rose had nothing as well.

‘Oh Pete! Rose has nothin’ to wear either. We’ll have to go and get some things for her,’ she told him.

‘Hmmm, I don’t think she’s going to be in a mood for shopping,’ he mused. ‘Tell you what, I’ll call Alice. She can phone Rose and see what she needs and then pick it up on the way over. She can charge it to Torchwood.’

Jackie kissed him on the cheek again. ‘I can see why you’re a success in this world. I’ll go check on her when I’ve had a shower an’ got dressed.’ She then gave him a wicked smile. ‘But while I’ve still got no clothes on . . . Come ‘ere you.’ She pulled him on top of her for a replay of the previous night’s entertainment.

  
  


+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

  
  


Rose awoke with a start and sat bolt upright. 

Where was she?

And then the memories of the previous day came flooding back. She could still see the Doctor’s face as he screamed her name while he reached out for her. And then he was gone; replaced by the concerned faces of her mum and Mickey as they stood in the dark, dismantled Lever Room.

She heard a knock on the door to the suite. 

‘ _ Rose? You awake Sweetheart? _ ’ she heard her mum call out quietly. She heard the door open and footsteps cross the room to the bedroom door. 

‘ _ Rose? You awake Sweetheart? _ ’ Jackie called out again as she gently knocked the door.

‘Yeah, Mum. I’m awake,’ Rose called back.

The door opened and Jackie’s face appeared. ‘You alright Sweetheart? How’d ya sleep?’

‘Oh, okay I suppose.’

Jackie sat on Rose’s bed and reached for her hand. She was wearing her blue jeans, white top and tracksuit top she’d worn the day before. ‘This is goin’ to take a bit of gettin’ used to, innit.’

‘Yeah . . . Mum, what am I gonna do?’ Rose pleaded.

‘Oh I don’t know Sweetheart. It’ll be alright. It’s early days yet. Give it time, everythin’ will work out in the end.’ She looked around the room. ‘I mean, there are worse places to be.’

‘Not without the Doctor there ain’t,’ Rose said tearfully as her mobile phone started to ring.

‘That’s probably Alice,’ Jackie said. ‘Pete asked her to give you a ring. I’ll see ya later.’ She stood up and left Rose to talk to Alice.

‘Hello?’ Rose said into her phone.

[‘Hi Rose. It’s Alice. Pete asked me to call you to see if I can pick up any clothes for you.’]

‘Oh, thanks Alice. I realised last night that all I’ve got to my name are the clothes I came in.’

[‘Well I think we can do something about that, Rose,’] Alice said. [‘So, what kind of things do you like to wear?’]

‘I usually wear jeans, T-shirts, hoodies and trainers.’

[‘Okay. No problem. What about coats or jackets?’]

‘Er, just a short jacket will do for now, thanks.’

[‘Any dresses or skirts?’]

‘I used to have some denim skirts.’

[‘And footwear. Any preferences?’]

‘Maybe a pair of boots and some trainers for now.’

[‘Okay Rose. I’ll pick you up a few packs of underwear as well to keep you going.’]

Rose started to cry. ‘I ain’t even got any clean underwear, and I never realised.’

[‘Don’t worry Rose. After a traumatic event, it’s normal for people to be confused and disorganised. Trivial things can be blown up out of all proportion . . . I’ll see you soon and we can talk about it.’]

‘Yeah. Okay. Thanks Alice. Bye.’

Rose didn’t go down to the Dining Room. She wasn’t hungry. She sat on the windowsill seat and looked out at the grounds of Tyler Mansion, thinking about the Doctor and wondering how he was coping without her. Time passed without being observed, and there was a knock at the door.

‘Rose? It’s Alice. Can I come in?’

Rose was surprised. An hour had passed since they had spoken on the phone. ‘Yeah Alice, come in.’

Rose stood and moved towards the “L” shaped sofa as Alice entered with armfulls of shopping bags.

‘Blimey. How much stuff did ya get?’ Rose asked as she helped Alice offload the bags onto the sofa.

‘Well, I got what you suggested, and . . . your mother phoned me with some suggestions,’ Alice explained.

‘She did what!?’ Rose asked indignantly.

‘Now don’t get cross with her, she’s your mother. She’s worried about you. I mean, did you think about pyjamas?’

Rose looked down at the complimentary pyjamas she was wearing. ‘Actually, no, I didn’t.’

‘No. Neither did I. That’s what mothers do in a crisis, they think of the practical things. Also, I’ve bought you a track suit, shorts and vest top in case you want to go jogging. Exercise is important not only for the body, but for the mind as well.’

‘Oh yeah. I’ve got to climb Everest, haven’t I,’ Rose said with a sad smile. ‘Thanks. I enjoy runnin’.’ Rose looked at the quality paper carrier bags. ‘Henrick’s, hah! You’ve got a Henrick’s in this world.’

‘Is there a problem?’ Alice asked.

‘I used to work at Henrick’s, stocking the shelves. That is until . . .’ 

Alice saw the change in Rose’s expression. ‘Tell me about it. I’d like to hear all about this strange world you come from.’

‘Oi! My world’s not strange,’ Rose declared. ‘This is the strange world.’ Alice gave her a lopsided smile, and the penny dropped. ‘This is your home, i’nt it? This is all normal to you.’

‘Yes it is. And you must be feeling so alone, like a stranger in a strange land,’ Alice said.

‘That’s it, yeah. That’s exactly how I feel,’ Rose agreed.

‘So, you were telling me about Henrick’s,’ Alice said as she picked up a carrier and took out a pair of denim jeans.

‘I was trapped by some alien plastic robot type things,’ Rose explained with a far away look in her eyes. ‘The Doctor grabbed my hand and said “RUN!”, and so I ran. He blew the store up to stop the aliens, and I was out of a job.’ She took a denim mini skirt out of another carrier. ‘Oh, that’s nice.’

‘And that’s when you started travelling with him?’

‘Not straight away, no. He disappeared for a bit, but then found me again when the aliens came looking for me. After that, he invited me into the TARDIS and we travelled the universe . . .’

‘Until yesterday,’ Alice finished for her. 

There was a knock at the door. ‘Have you had breakfast?’ Alice asked as she went to the door.

‘Er, no. I’m not hungry,’ Rose told her.

‘Thought not,’ Alice replied. She opened the door, and Jenny, the maid, carried in a tray of breakfast. ‘Stress. It can suppress the appetite and weaken the immune system. Before you know it, you’re susceptible to all sorts of infections. I thought we could share breakfast . . . if that’s okay with you?’

Jenny put the tray on the dining table.

‘Er, yeah. That’s fine,’ Rose said.

Alice smiled. ‘Good. Thanks Jenny. We’ll take it from here.’

Alice poured two cups of tea. Rose noticed that they were proper cups, with saucers, and a teapot. Not the mugs with a tea bag hanging on a string that she and her mum were used to. And the toast. It was cut into triangles and held upright in a rack, not just a single slice on a plate. And the marmalade. It was in a porcelain pot, not a jar with sticky bits on the label. Even a simple breakfast was strange to her. 

‘To be fair though, I’m used to having tea in a mug, toast as a single slice, and marmalade in a jar,’ Alice confessed when Rose had explained her observations. ‘Although, I could get used to this.’

That made Rose laugh, and Alice laughed with her before the sadness returned. ‘You have a beautiful smile, Rose. I hope we can see more of it in the future. Talking of the future, I’ve bought you something which I’d like you to use.’

‘What is it?’ Rose asked suspiciously.

Alice rummaged through one of the smaller bags and pulled out a book. ‘A diary. I want you to write down anything that comes into your head. Imagine you are telling the Doctor all about the day you’ve had.’

‘That’ll be easy,’ Rose said sarcastically. ‘Remember that big house the Cybermen trashed? That’s my new home.’

‘Fair comment,’ Alice said. ‘And on a positive note . . ?’

‘Well. The tea comes in a pot, and the toast is triangular,’ she said with a hint of a smile. 

She had a flashback when she thought about the marmalade. Alice saw her expression lighten.

‘What is it? A flashback?’ 

‘Yeah. I remember. We were in this house. Trish Webber’s house, and we were in the kitchen, and he just started scoopin’ marmalade out of a jar with his fingers. Hah!’ Rose said with a laugh.

‘Write it down,’ Alice told her. ‘All these memories are treasures that you can keep.’

They finished their breakfasts and continued emptying all the carriers.

‘Oh, these boots are nice,’ Rose said as she held up the knee length, black leather boots.

‘There’s a pair of ankle boots in there as well,’ Alice told her. ‘They were on the reduced counter and I thought you might like them.’

Rose reached into the bag and pulled out a pair of black leather boots with a metal studded pattern. ‘Oh Alice. These are gorgeous.’

‘I thought they’d go with the jeans or the skirt.’

‘Yeah, they’re perfect.’

‘Oh, and this was on the reduced counter as well,’ Alice said as she pulled out a cream jumper dress. ‘I don’t know if it’s your kind of “thing”, but I’ll have it if you don’t want it.’

Rose held it against her and looked in the mirror. ‘No, this is fine, Alice. Thank you.’

Alice helped her put the clothes in drawers and on hangers in the wardrobe. It was going to be a hot July day, so Rose chose the denim skirt with a white T-shirt and white trainers. After she’d had a shower in the en-suite, she emerged like a butterfly from a pyjama chrysalis.

‘That’s better,’ Alice said. ‘Shall we explore the grounds a bit more today?’

‘Yeah. Okay.’

They strolled through the grounds as they chatted. Alice was asking her about her social life in her old universe before she met the Doctor.

‘Actually, me an’ Mickey used to be an item, before . . .’

‘Before you started travelling with the Doctor,’ Alice finished for her. ‘You can mention him you know. The more you talk about him and remember him, the more the feelings of loss will subside . . . Is it going to be a problem for you living in the same house as Mickey?’

‘Nah. We’re good mates. We’ve known each other since school, and I think he realised things were over when I went back to save the Doctor this one time.’

Rose told Alice the story of Satellite Five and how the Doctor had kept a promise to Jackie to send her back. When she’d told Mickey there was nothing left for her on the Powell Estate, or even Earth, He’d helped her go back.

‘I used to go out clubbin’ with Shareen and Keisha,’ Rose continued. ‘The Fabulous Threesome we used to call ourselves. Oh we had some good times . . . All gone now though. They must think me and Mum died in the Canary Wharf incident,’ Rose realised. ‘Never got chance to say goodbye. Always thought about meeting up with them when I went back to visit Mum . . . but I never did.’ Tears stung her eyes. ‘An’ it’s too late now.’

Alice used her skills to redirect Rose’s thoughts. ‘What was your favourite song you used to dance to? What’s your favourite drink? Favourite drinking game?’ She kept up a stream of questions to get Rose to think about the good times.

They wandered around the back of the house, and Rose recognised the window she and the Doctor had jumped through to escape the Cybermen.

  
  


_ “There's nothing we can do.” _

_ “My mum's in there!” _

_ “She is not your mother! Come on!”  _

  
  


‘Another flashback?’ Alice asked as Rose stared at the now intact window.

‘Yeah. We escaped through this window when the Cybermen attacked. Pete got out through that one over there . . . Jackie was stuck inside. They must have found her, because they . . .’

Alice rubbed Rose’s arm in comfort. ‘I know. Pete told me when I was counselling him. He said there was this amazing blonde girl who fearlessly volunteered to get inside the factory.’

‘I don’t know about fearless,’ Rose said with a smile. ‘I was terrified.’

‘But you still went in. That takes guts. I don’t think I could have done it,’ Alice confessed.

‘Oh I don’t know. You never know what you’re capable of ‘til you’re put to the test,’ Rose told her. She’d learned that from the Doctor.

‘And now you are being put to the test in a different way, aren’t you?’

‘I hadn’t thought about it like that, but yeah, I suppose I am,’ Rose said with a frown.

‘I’m going to let you try and settle in over the weekend, Rose,’ Alice told her as they came to a bench and sat down. ‘Use the diary, and if you feel up to it, try venturing out beyond the confines of the house. Maybe Mickey could show you some of the local pubs.’

‘Yeah. Maybe he could,’ Rose agreed.

‘Or Pete even. It might help to develop your relationship with him,’ Alice suggested. 

‘What, like some father and daughter time?’ Rose wondered.

‘Exactly. What are you calling him by the way, Pete or Dad?’

‘Er, Pete for now. I think he’s findin’ it a bit difficult to accept at the moment. I don’t want to push him away by forcin’ the issue.’ Rose became tearful again. ‘I’ve already lost one person I love, I don't want to lose another.’

Alice put an arm around her shoulders. ‘Hey, come on. Pete’s a good man. He loves your mum, doesn’t he?’

‘Yeah. But . . .’

‘And she’s not the woman he married,’ Alice continued. ‘So if he’s come to terms with that, give it time and he’ll come to terms with the fact he’s got a daughter. And an amazing one at that.’

Rose smiled and squeezed Alice’s hand. ‘Thanks Alice.’

Alice stood up. ‘I’ll leave you to it then Rose. I’d say good luck, but I know you won’t need it. If you need me though, just call me. Anytime of the day or night.’

‘Thanks Alice. I don’t know if I’d have coped without yer help,’ Rose said.

‘Oh don’t underestimate yourself Rose. You’re fantastic,’ Alice told her.

  
  


_ “Doctor, tell me what's going on.” _

_ “I absorbed all the energy of the Time Vortex, and no one's meant to do that. Every cell in my body's dying.” _

_ “Can't you do somethin’?” _

_ “Yeah, I'm doing it now. Time Lords have this little trick, it's sort of a way of cheating death. Except it means I'm going to change, and I'm not going to see you again. Not like this. Not with this daft old face . . . And before I go . . .” _

_ “Don't say that.” _

_ “Rose, before I go, I just want to tell you, you were fantastic. Absolutely fantastic. And do you know what? So was I.”  _

  
  


‘Rose? Are you alright?’ Alice asked as she saw Rose’s expression.

Rose looked into Alice’s eyes. ‘He said that to me once . . . Said I was fantastic.’

After Alice had left, Rose went back to her room and started writing an account of the last two days in her diary. It was a bit stilted to start with, but as she recalled the events, the words started to flow onto the page. She would stop occasionally to wipe the tears from her eyes.


	3. Guilt And Regret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose struggles to come to terms with her predicament, but meets some new people. Jackie learns something surprising when Pete gives her a little present.

**Chapter 3**

**Guilt And Regret**

  
  
  


_ ‘Rose, hold on . . .! Hold on!’ she heard the Doctor shout, reaching out for her. But she couldn’t hold on. She was horizontal now, and the pull was too strong. Her world had turned through ninety degrees and she was now dangling from the lever over the very gates of Hell itself. _

_ She wasn’t afraid, not anymore. Her fear had been replaced with a calm sorrow and regret. She knew what would happen next, and she was okay with that, she’d had a good life, made all the better by meeting the Doctor. _

_ She felt the last of her fingers lose the fight against the pull of the breach, and felt as though she were floating in mid air. She had no sensation of moving, and she could hear singing, a beautiful sound that she had heard somewhere before. _

_ She started to see her life play out, not before her eyes, but in her mind’s eye. ‘Oh, that really happens then’, she thought to herself in amusement, as she saw her childhood in the minutest detail. She saw her mum, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, old friends, all come to say goodbye one last time. _

_ She saw her holidays on the beach in Tenby, with her red plastic bucket and spade in her hand. She saw birthdays, Christmases, her red bike (brilliant, she loved that bike), Mickey, Jimmy, Henrick’s, all of it. The good times, the bad times, and the ugly ones. _

_ And then her life had changed, she had met the Doctor. There was fun and laughter, adventures with lots of running, and the danger didn’t seem to matter anymore, “it was just the bits in between” he had told her mum. _

_ That made her think about her mum, and how she would never know whether she was alive or dead. Although she felt guilty about that, she hoped that she would have been proud that her daughter died saving the world. _

_ She saw how the day had started out so good, walking hand in hand with her love. Excited about seeing her mum, and then having events overtake them and escalate out of control. _

_ As these images played out in her head, she could see him, swinging on the clamp, reaching out to her and screaming her name. “If only he’d shown me that much emotion when it mattered” she thought to herself sadly, maybe then we could have been lovers. _

_ She realised she must be moving towards the breach, because he seemed so far away now. “Don’t worry, my Doctor, my Love”, she thought, “it’ll be alright, don’t cry . . . just remember me with a smile, eh?” She remembered a message from oh so long ago. “And if you want to remember me, then you can do one thing . . . that's all . . . one thing. Have a good life. Do that for me, Doctor. Have a fantastic life, but don’t try and do it on your own, because some things are worth getting your heart broken for”. _

_ “Thump!”  _

_ She’d hit something. _

  
  


Rose sat bolt upright, gasping for breath. She was alive! She hadn’t fallen into the breach. She put her head in her hands and started to cry. Partly with relief that she hadn’t died, and partly with sadness at being separated from the Doctor. She flopped back onto the bed and turned onto her side in the foetal position, gentle sobs escaping from her lips as she drifted back to sleep.

She awoke later that Saturday morning and raked her fingers through her hair, sweeping it back off her face. She got out of bed and sat at the table to write about the nightmare in her diary while it was still fresh. She was surprised to find that writing down the dream and how it made her feel, diminished the emotions associated with it.

She went through to the en-suite to empty her bladder and have a shower. The jet of water seemed to wash away the lingering dream, and left her feeling slightly more invigorated. 

  
  


_ “Hold on! Hold on!” _

_ “Oh, too late. I'm going up.” _

_ “It's all right, there's another lift.” _

_ “Ward twenty six, and watch out for the disinfectant.” _

_ “Watch out for what?” _

_ “The disinfectant!” _

_ “The what?” _

_ “The disin . . . Oh, you'll find out.” _

  
  


With a towel wrapped around her, she used the wall mounted dryer to dry her hair before going back to the bedroom to get dressed. She looked through the new clothes Alice had bought the previous day, and thought “what’s the point? I ain’t goin’ anywhere”. She put on the pastel pink tracksuit with double white stripes down the sleeves and legs, and sat on the windowsill seat, staring out at the mansion grounds and the trees which hid the high stone wall surrounding the property.

She knew Alice had told her to socialise so as not to feel isolated, but she just couldn’t bring herself to face anybody at the moment. She just wanted to be alone with her thoughts. And those thoughts kept repeating on a loop.

_ “Don’t go causin’ trouble” _ , her mum had told the Doctor. 

_ “I said so! Those ghosts have been forced into existence from one specific point, and I can track down the source. Allons y!” _ He just had to go and investigate.

_ “That's why I got these. I'll just have to hold on tight. I've been doing it all my life.” _ Rose felt guilty that she hadn’t been able to hold on tight, and that was why they were now separated.

She wondered if she was trying to find the root cause in the way events unfolded. Maybe find a loophole which meant that she could go back. She remembered what the Doctor had said, and the conversation she’d had with Alice. She tried to use logic to organise her thoughts. 

Travel between universes WASN’T impossible, because she had done it five times now. Two times when they had first come to “Pete’s World” and gone back. Two times when he had sent her here and she’d gone back to him. And then, that last time when . . . So why not once more? Surely one wouldn’t hurt?

So what was taking him so long? When he had been stuck in eighteenth century France that time, it had taken him five and a half hours. And that was without the TARDIS. It had been around thirty six hours now, and still no sign of him. He wouldn’t give up. He never gave up. Surely all he had to do was reboot the lever room and open the breach briefly to pop through, pick her up and pop back.

There was a knock at the door.

‘Rose, Sweetheart. Are you okay?’ Jackie called through the door. ‘You weren’t at breakfast . . . Can I come in?’

‘Yeah. Come in Mum. I’m okay. I just couldn’t face havin’ breakfast,’ Rose told her as she got up off the windowsill seat.

‘Oh, that’s a shame,’ Jackie said as she backed through the door with a tray. ‘Cause I’ve brought yer some tea an’ toast. I’ll put it on the table an’ you can have it if yer want.’

Rose gave her a wan smile. ‘Thanks Mum.’

‘So how are ya, Sweetheart? Did ya sleep alright?’

‘Not really. I had a nightmare. And these thoughts keep goin’ around and around in my head.’

‘Oh you poor thing,’ Jackie said, enveloping her in a hug.

‘I keep thinkin’ “what if” all the time. What if we hadn’t come to see ya that particular mornin’? What if we hadn’t gone to find the source of the ghosts?’

‘I remember havin’ all those thoughts when yer dad died, Sweetheart. And they don’t make a bit of difference to the outcome. What is, is,’ Jackie told her.

‘But the Doctor’s got a TARDIS Mum. He can change a what if to a what is. An’ I keep thinkin’ I can hear the TARDIS startin’ to materialise. An’ when I look, it stops an’ there’s nothin’ there. I feel like I’m goin’ crazy.’

Jackie stroked her cheek. ‘You’re not goin’ crazy, Sweetheart. You’re just missin’ everythin’ you’ve left behind.’

‘Yeah. Alice said I’d be in shock and denial for a while.’

‘She’s a smart girl that one,’ Jackie said.

‘And I’m feelin’ the pain of separation, and I feel so guilty about not bein’ able to handle it. I mean, the stuff I’ve seen, an’ the stuff I’ve done . . . I should be better than this,’ Rose told her.

Jackie gave her the benefit of her wisdom. ‘Yeah. But all that stuff happened to other people, didn’t it. This has happened to you, an’ now you’ve got to find a way to cope with it.’

‘And what if I can’t?’

‘Your my daughter! A Tyler. You’ll find a way,’ Jackie told her, holding her shoulders at arms length. She smiled and nodded sideways at the breakfast tray. ‘Now have yer breakfast before it goes cold.’

Rose wiped the tears of her cheeks with her hand and gave a single laugh. ‘You forgot to say, “do as yer mother says”. Thanks, Mum.’ She gave Jackie a peck on the cheek and sat down to breakfast as Jackie left the room.

Jackie made her way back to her new bedroom, where she started sorting through rails of clothes on hangers, selecting what took her fancy.

A while later, Pete entered the room with a book under his arm. ‘Have you decided what you want to keep then?’

‘Yeah. Thanks Love. Are you sure you’re alright with me wearin’ her clothes?’

Pete kissed her on the lips. ‘Yeah. I know it’ll be a bit weird seeing you in those clothes, but I’m getting used to weird these days.’

Jackie spotted the book he was holding. ‘What’s that you’ve got?’

‘Oh this. I grabbed it out of the Library. It’s a bit of homework for you,’ he said with a cheeky grin.

Jackie took the offered book and looked at the cover. It had a photograph of her, with the title, “Jackie Tyler. Living The High Life”.

‘What’s this?’ Jackie asked with a frown. ‘Am I supposed to have written a book?’

‘It’s your official biography,’ Pete told her.

Jackie’s jaw dropped. ‘Biography? I’ve got a biography?’

‘Well, technically, it’s my wife’s biography, but yeah. If you are going to be her, you’d better read about yourself.’

‘Blimey! I’ve got a biography. I’m famous,’ Jackie realised.

‘Don’t take it too literally. Jackie was prone to exaggeration, and it was written by a ghost writer,’ Pete explained. ‘But it should give you a flavour of who you are.’

‘An’ what am I famous for?’ Jackie asked.

Pete gave her his cheekiest smile. ‘For being Jackie Tyler.’

  
  


+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

  
  


After eating the toast, and drinking the tea, Rose went back to the windowsill seat and resumed her vigil. She caught sight of a figure running through the trees along the gravel path and her heart missed a beat. It was the Doctor! He’d made it! He’d found his way through the void and was running back to fetch her.

And then her heart fell as the figure emerged from the trees. The skin tone was all wrong, and he wasn’t wearing the tight, pinstripe suit. It was Mickey in a tan coloured tracksuit, returning from a jog. Another sob escaped from her as she realised she was going to be here for a while longer.

‘Where are you Doctor? I need you,’ she cried.

Once the feeling of disappointment had faded, and she’d dried her eyes. She thought about going for a run herself. After all, she was dressed for it, and it might clear her mind a little. She went to find Mickey to see which route he took when he went for a run.

She found Mickey in the lounge with Jackie and Pete. He’d showered and changed into jeans and a T-shirt. Mickey and Pete were watching the Saturday afternoon sport on the television, and Jackie was leaning against Pete with a book on her lap.

‘Oh, hi Sweetheart. Feelin’ better?’ Jackie asked.

‘A bit, yeah. I was thinkin’ of goin’ for a run. Do you know a good route Mickey?’

‘Yeah. I’ve got a good one,’ Mickey said. ‘If you go out the side gate, you can pick up the path through Queen’s Wood.’

‘Oh yeah. Capital Ring,’ Pete added. ‘That’s the name of the path. It goes across Muswell Hill Road at the pedestrian lights and over into Highgate Wood.’

‘That’s it,’ Mickey agreed. ‘You can make it a short run or a really long one. I can show you if you like.’

‘Nah, that’s okay,’ Rose replied. ‘Maybe another time. I just want to have some time to myself . . . some time to think.’

‘I’ve just thought, Rose. I had the security beefed up after . . . Well, you know. You’ll need a pass to get through the gates now. I’ll go and get a couple out of the office safe for you and Jackie.’

While she waited for Pete to come back from the office with her security pass, Mickey showed her the various paths through Queen’s Wood and Highgate Wood, on an online map on his tablet PC.

‘There you are, Rose,’ Pete said, handing her the plastic card on a lanyard. ‘Just hold that against the reader and it’ll unlock the gate.’

‘Thanks. I’ll see y’all later,’ Rose said, and headed for the door.

‘See ya later, Sweetheart. Enjoy yer run,’ Jackie called to her.

Rose went out through the front door onto the gravel drive, turned left, and started to jog past the garages. The drive turned into a path which headed towards the trees. Hidden in the trees was an old stone wall which ran around the property. It was about eight feet tall and in parts, covered in ivy. The gravel path went through an arched gateway, which had a wrought iron gate barring her way. 

To the right of the gate, was a metal panel against which Rose held her pass. The lock clicked, and Rose went through into Queen’s Wood. A few yards in, she came to Capital Ring, and was surprised to see it was surfaced with tarmac. She turned right and started to run towards Wood Vale. She ran for about a quarter of a mile, when she came to a clearing at the edge of the wood, where the path split in several directions. There was an information board with a map, a small, green rubbish bin, and a bin for dog poo. There was also a fingerpost, pointing in each of the directions. 

Where she had come from, it indicated, was Muswell Hill Road and Highgate Wood. Ahead and to the left was Connaught Gardens, and to the right was Shepherd’s Hill and Highgate Station. She took the left hand path and headed for Connaught Gardens, where she knew the path would curve around and loop back towards Muswell Hill Road.

‘Morning,’ an elderly man said who was walking a black Labrador dog.

‘Mornin’,’ Rose said, coming to a stop and giving the friendly dog some fuss.

‘Oh, he’ll have you there all day doing that,’ the man said with a laugh.

‘He’s lovely,’ Rose said, feeling better for having petted the dog. ‘See ya then.’ She gave the man a wave and set off again along the path.

Queen’s Wood was only about half a square mile in area, but with the paths criss crossing and forming a ring around the edges, she had a decent introduction to the area, and knew she could try Highgate Wood another day. She came back along Capital Ring towards the mansion, and found the path which led to the side gate.

When she got back to her room, Rose had a shower, and had the same flashback of the lifts at the Sisters Of Plenitude Hospital. “Maybe I should start takin’ a bath” she thought to herself as she dried herself off. She selected a pair of new black jeans Alice had bought her the day before, a yellow T-shirt, and the blue denim jacket. She found out the ankle boots and put those on to finish the outfit. She sat at the dressing table and brushed her hair into a ponytail.

She found her way to the kitchen, where Margaret “Maggie” the cook, and Jenny the maid were having a sit down and a cup of tea.

‘Oh, hello dear,’ Maggie said. ‘Is there something I can get you?’

‘I didn’t want to interrupt or anythin’. I just wanted to make a sandwich for my lunch.’

Maggie stood up. ‘I can do that for you, my dear. Have a seat and I’ll make you one. What do you fancy?’

‘No. I can do it. Honest,’ Rose told her.

‘I’m sure you can,’ Maggie told her with a smile. ‘But I know where everything is, and I’m a professional.’ She gave Rose a wink.

Rose smiled at her and sat at the kitchen table. ‘Thanks. I fancied a cheese an’ onion sandwich.’

‘Then cheese and onion you shall have,’ Maggie told her. ‘White or wholemeal?’

‘Er, white please.’

She reached a crusty batch loaf out of the bread bin and cut two thick slices. She lifted the porcelain lid off the butter dish and spread butter over the slices. She then went to the fridge and took out a triangular shaped, ceramic cheese keeper. She cut some thick slices of the Cheddar cheese and arranged them on the bread. From the vegetable rack, she took an onion and cut some round slices.

‘Pickle?’ she asked Rose.

Rose’s eyes lit up. She hadn’t had a cheese and pickle sandwich for years. Her mum used to make a cracking sandwich. ‘Ooh, yes please.’

Maggie smiled at her expectant expression. She used a teaspoon to scoop some pickle and spread it, before putting the remaining slice of bread on top and cutting the sandwich in two. She put it on a plate and put the plate on the table in front of Rose.

‘There you are Miss. Enjoy.’

‘Thank you. I think I will,’ Rose said and took a bite. ‘Mmmmm. Oh-my-God,’ she mumbled as she covered her full mouth with her hand. She swallowed the mouthful. ‘That . . . Is gorgeous. Compliments to the chef.’

Maggie and Jenny laughed. ‘Thank you very much,’ Maggie said. ‘I do pride myself on a good sandwich. Your father loves my ploughman’s.’

Maggie saw the briefest of troubled expressions cross Rose’s face. ‘Oh. I hope I haven’t spoken out of turn Miss.’

‘No. No,’ Rose assured her. ‘It’s just that we haven’t seen each other for a while, so it’s like we’re gettin’ to know each other all over again.’

‘Oh I see,’ Maggie said. ‘That won’t take you long though. He’s such a lovely man. It’s a pleasure to work here.’

‘I’ll be sure to tell him that,’ Rose said as she had another bite of her amazing sandwich. ‘He’ll appreciate that.’

‘I think he already knows,’ Jenny told her. ‘That’s why he’s got such a loyal household.’

‘So how long have you worked here?’ Rose asked.

‘It was twenty oh four. Mister and Misses Tyler had just bought the house and were advertising for staff,’ Maggie told her. ‘We came for an interview and got the job.’

‘So that was before . . . y’know. Before the “incident” then?’ Rose queried.

‘That’s right,’ Jenny replied. ‘Mister Tyler had brought in the external caterers for Misses Tyler’s birthday party, so he gave us the night off. If he hadn’t got the caterers in . . .’

‘You’d have been in the house,’ Rose finished for her. Not telling her that she’d been one of those caterers.

‘We felt guilty about that for years after,’ Maggie said with a sad expression. ‘Those poor people.’

  
  


_ “ _ **_We have been upgraded._ ** _ ” _

_ “Into what?” _

_ “ _ **_The next level of mankind. We are Human point two. Every citizen will receive a free upgrade. You will become like us._ ** _ ” _

_ “I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for what's been done to you, but listen to me. This experiment ends tonight.” _

_ “ _ **_Upgrading is compulsory._ ** _ ” _

_ “And if I refuse?” _

_ “Don't.” _

_ “What if I refuse?” _

_ “I'm telling you, don't.” _

_ “What happens if I refuse?” _

_ “ _ **_Then you are not compatible._ ** _ ” _

_ “What happens then?” _

_ “ _ **_You will be deleted._ ** _ ” _

  
  


Rose could hear the echo of the screams of the guests and staff in the house as the Cybermen attacked.


	4. Flashbacks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s Sunday, and the Doctor always said “Sundays are boring”. Rose explores the library and finds a book to read. (Tip-of-the-hat to Billie Piper there.) Pete reveals the flashback that haunts him.
> 
> (This chapter is inspired by a video I made a few years ago. You can find it on YouTube: “The Doctor and Rose. The Rain After Doomsday”. If you like the music, it’s by a duo called Oh Wonder.)

**Chapter 4**

**Flashbacks**

  
  
  


Rose woke early with a slightly damp pillow. She hadn’t cried herself to sleep as she had the night before, but she did remember a dream which was so sad that it made her cry.

  
  


_ “It's the year five billion and twenty three. We're in the galaxy M87, and this . . ? This is New Earth.” _

_ “That's just . . . That's just . . .” _

_ “Not bad. Not bad at all.” _

_ “That's amazing. I'll never get used to this. Never . . . Different ground beneath my feet, different sky . . . What's that smell?” _

_ “Apple grass.” _

_ “Apple grass?” _

_ “Yeah, yeah.” _

_ “It's beautiful. Oh, I love this. Can I just say, travelling with you, I love it.” _

_ “Me too. Come on.” _

  
  


What made it so sad, was that she was so happy that day, so excited to be travelling with her foxy, new Doctor. It seemed that this remembered dream was trying to draw a line under her previous life, urging her to start a new life here in “Pete’s World”. The emotions from the dream still haunted her as she awoke and gave her a melancholy feeling.

‘Oh, where are ya, Doctor?’ she asked out loud. ‘When are y’comin’ to get me?’

She still believed that her reasoning was sound, and that travel between universes was possible. Where she found herself at the moment was proof, wasn’t it? What the Doctor meant to say was “travel between universes should be impossible, but something has made it possible” she told herself.

She climbed out of bed and took a shower, which helped to wash away some of that melancholia, but it still invoked the usual flashback of New Earth. When she had dried herself, she selected the cream, jumper dress Alice had bought her, and a pair of black tights.

She sat on the windowsill watching the rain falling outside, and the small rivulets running down the glass. After a hot spell, the weather had broken with a thunderstorm. She realised that there was one thing that both universes had in common . . . Sundays were boring.

There was a flash of lightning, and Rose started to count in thousands, just as she had as a child on the Powell Estate. Jackie had told her that sound travelled around one mile a second, and if you counted the seconds, it told you how far away the lightning was. She knew if the Doctor was there, he would tell her the exact speed of sound . . .

  
  


_ “Really, though, Doctor. Tell me, who are ya?” _

_ “Do you know like we were saying about the Earth revolving? It's like when you were a kid. The first time they tell you the world's turning and you just can't quite believe it because everything looks like it's standing still. I can feel it. The turn of the Earth. The ground beneath our feet is spinning at a thousand miles an hour, and the entire planet is hurtling round the sun at sixty seven thousand miles an hour, and I can feel it. We're falling through space, you and me, clinging to the skin of this tiny little world, and if we let go . . . That's who I am. Now, forget me, Rose Tyler. Go home.” _

  
  


‘One, one thousand. Two, one thousand. Three, one thous . . .’

“Rummmmble”.

Rose smiled to herself briefly at the memory, before resting her elbow on the windowsill, and her chin on her hand. She’d always liked watching the rain, she found it relaxing, meditative, almost hypnotic. Today though, it just gave her time to think about the Doctor. She hadn’t experienced a Sunday for ages. He never landed the TARDIS on a Sunday. “Sundays are boring” he’d always say.

She stared out of the window for a while longer until the meditative state faded. She stood up and walked across the room, picking up her phone and considering if she should phone Alice. It was a Sunday though. But she had said she could call her at any time. She dialled Alice’s number.

[‘Hello? Rose, is that you? Are you okay?’] Alice’s concerned voice asked.

‘Hi Alice. Yeah, it’s me. I hope you don’t mind me phoning you on a Sunday,’ Rose replied.

[‘No, of course not. How are you?’]

‘To be honest, I think it’s just boredom. I’m stuck inside during this thunderstorm, and my thoughts keep goin’ back to my old life with the Doctor,’ Rose explained.

[‘Right. You need a distraction, something to redirect your thoughts. Have you tried watching television or listening to some music?’] Alice asked

‘There’s nothing on the TV that takes my fancy really,’ Rose confessed. It was politics and gardening programs. ‘An’ music . . .’

  
  


_ “In the late 1970s? You'd be better off in a bin bag. Hold on, listen to this.” _

_ “Ian Dury and the Blockheads. Number One in 1979.” _

_ “You're a punk.” _

_ “It's good to be a lunatic.” _

_ “That's what you are. A big old punk with a bit of rockabilly thrown in.” _

_ “Would you like to see him?” _

_ “How'd you mean? In concert?” _

_ “What else is a TARDIS for? I can take you to the Battle of Trafalgar, the first anti-gravity Olympics, Caesar crossing the Rubicon or Ian Dury at the Top Rank, Sheffield, England, Earth, 21st November, 1979. What do you think?” _

_ “Sheffield it is.” _

_ “Hold on tight.” _

  
  


‘. . . Just reminds me of travellin’ with the Doctor,’ she explained, whilst having more flashbacks.

  
  


_ “I thought we'd be going for the Vegas era, you know the white flares and the, grr, chest hair.” _

  
  


_ “You are kidding, aren't you? You want to see Elvis, you go for the late fifties. The time before burgers. When they called him the Pelvis and he still had a waist. What's more, you see him in style . . . You going my way, doll?” _

_ “Is there any other way to go, daddy-o? Straight from the fridge, man.” _

_ “Hey, you speak the lingo.” _

_ “Oh well, me, mum, Cliff Richard movies every Bank Holiday Monday.” _

_ “Ah, Cliff. I knew your mother'd be a Cliff fan.” _

_ “Where we off to?” _

_ “Ed Sullivan TV Studios. Elvis did Hound Dog on one of the shows. There were loads of complaints. Bit of luck, we'll just catch it.” _

_ “And that'll be TV studios in, what, New York?” _

_ “That's the one.” _

_ “Ha! Digging that New York vibe.” _

  
  


[‘Well what about a book. A good book can transport you to other places,’] Alice suggested.

‘There’s a library downstairs,’ Rose remembered. ‘I wonder what kind of books are in there? I think I’ll go an’ explore the library . . . Well, I’d better go. Thanks for the chat, Alice, and the advice. ’

[‘Okay, Rose. Any time. You take care and I’ll see you tomorrow. Bye.’]

‘Bye Alice.’

In the library, Rose imagined the Doctor licking the wood panelling.

  
  


_ “Viscum album, the oil of the mistletoe. It's been worked into the wood like a varnish. How clever was your dad? I love him. Powerful stuff, mistletoe. Bursting with lectins and viscotoxins.” _

_ “And the wolf's allergic to it?” _

_ “Well, it thinks it is. The monkey monk monks need a way of controlling the wolf, maybe they trained it to react against certain things.” _

_ “Nevertheless, that creature won't give up, Doctor, and we still don't possess an actual weapon.” _

_ “Oh, your father got all the brains, didn't he?” _

_ “Being rude again.” _

_ “Good. I meant that one. You want weapons? We're in a library. Books! Best weapons in the world. This room's the greatest arsenal we could have . . . Arm yourself.” _

  
  


Rose shuddered as she remembered that encounter with the Lupine Wavelength Heamavariform. Pete’s library had books on how to be a successful inventor, how to patent your ideas, how to set up your own business, and other such guides to being an entrepreneur. There were technical journals and books on engineering, electronics, solar panels, wind turbines, as well as books on nutrition, food production and hygiene, and various cook books.

There was a complete collection of Encyclopaedia Britannica, which was probably decades out of date by now. There were copies of various classics Rose had heard of, but never read. “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Ausitn. “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Bronte, and the like.

She found some shelves dedicated to Charles Dickens.

  
  


_ “What are you going to do now?” _

_ “I shall take the mail coach back to London, quite literally post-haste. This is no time for me to be on my own. I shall spend Christmas with my family and make amends to them. After all I've learned tonight, there can be nothing more vital.” _

_ “You've cheered up.” _

_ “Exceedingly! This morning, I thought I knew everything in the world. Now I know I've just started. All these huge and wonderful notions, Doctor. I'm inspired. I must write about them.” _

_ “D’ya think that's wise?” _

_ “I shall be subtle at first. The Mystery of Edwin Drood still lacks an ending. Perhaps the killer was not the boy's uncle. Perhaps he was not of this Earth. The Mystery of Edwin Drood and the Blue Elementals. I can spread the word, tell the truth.” _

_ “Good luck with it. Nice to meet you. Fantastic.” _

_ “Bye, then, and thanks.” _

  
  


Rose heard the words echo in her mind as she remembered Charles being embarrassed by a kiss on the cheek.

There were also the works of Shakespeare on other shelves, and she wondered if Shakespeare was the same “favourite uncle” character that Dickens was. She also wondered if these books had been in the library when Pete had bought the house, because she didn’t think Pete or Jackie were into the classics.

There was one paperback she found which she just knew would be Jackie’s. “The Intimate Adventures Of A London Call Girl” by Belle De Jour. She read the back-cover blurb written by The Times newspaper literary correspondent.

_ “Belle is a natural-born blogger, her style is witty and compact, with the right mixture of intimacy and disassociation . . . Her entertainment value is huge . . . because she writes about sex with a mind behind it.” _

This was more like it. She sat in one of the studded, leather chairs by the window, tucked her legs up on the seat, and started to read. 

_ “The first thing you should know is that I am a whore” _ , she read.

‘What?!’ She was immediately hooked by that opening sentence.

_ “Prostitution is steady work. I open my legs. And then I close them. It beats working in an office.” _

Rose actually laughed out loud when she read that. She liked this woman already. And this was just the kind of book she needed to distract her and lift her spirits. She had read a few chapters, when the door opened and Jackie popped her head into the room.

‘Oh, there y’are, Sweetheart. I’ve been lookin’ for ya all over.’

‘Sorry Mum. Alice suggested I should try readin’ to take my mind off things,’ Rose explained.

‘That’s a good idea, Love. What’s the book?’

Rose showed her the cover. ‘It’s really funny.’

‘I’ll ‘ave that off ya when yer’ve finished with it,’ Jackie said with a laugh. ‘I was lookin’ for ya because we’re all ‘avin’ Sunday lunch in the dinin’ room,’ Jackie told her.

  
  


_ [“Right, I'll be a couple of hours, then we can go.”] _

_ “You've got a phone?” _

_ [“You think I can travel through space and time and I haven't got a phone? Like I said, couple of hours. I've just got to send out this dispersal. There you go. That's cancelling out the Slitheen's advert in case any bargain hunters turn up.”] _

_ “Er, my mother's cooking.” _

_ [“Good. Put her on a slow heat and let her simmer.”] _

_ “She's cooking tea. For us.” _

_ [“I don't do that.”] _

_ “She wants to get to know you.” _

_ [“Tough. I've got better things to do.”] _

_ “It's just tea.” _

_ [“Not to me it isn't.”] _

_ “She's my mother.” _

_ [“Well, she's not mine.”] _

_ “That's not fair.” _

_ [“Well, you can stay there if you want, but right now there's this plasma storm brewing in the Horsehead Nebula. Fires are burning ten million miles wide. I could fly the Tardis right into the heart of it then ride the shock wave all the way out. Hurtle right across the sky and end up anywhere. Your choice.”] _

  
  


‘Oh, I don’t know, Mum. I’m not really in the mood for company,’ Rose replied.

‘I know y’not, Love. But yer’ve got to make an effort sometime, an’ I think Rita Anne is lookin’ forward to cluckin’ over ya like a mother hen,’ Jackie said with a lopsided smile.

Rose smiled at her mother’s attempt to cajoul her into eating Sunday lunch. ‘Okay. I’ll come. But don’t expect me to be the life and soul.’

‘It’s a deal,’ Jackie agreed.

Rose found a bookmark on the table and put it in her book, before putting it on the table.

‘Ooh. I like that dress, Rose. It really suits ya,’ Jackie said.

‘D’ya think so?’ Rose queried, holding out her arms and doing a twirl. ‘Alice picked it up off the reduced counter at Henrick’s.

‘Yeah. It shows off yer figure beautifully,’ Jackie told her as they headed for the dining room.

‘Here she is,’ Jackie said as they entered the room. ‘Found her in the library, bein’ a bookworm.’

‘Ah, Rose. I was worried about you,’ Rita Anne told her.

Rose looked at Jackie, who had an “I told you so” expression on her face. Rose rolled her eyes in an amused acceptance of her mother’s wisdom, and smiled at Rita Anne.

‘I’m alright Rita Anne,’ Rose replied. ‘I just need some time alone with my thoughts to get them straight in my head.’

‘Flashbacks?’ Pete asked, and Rose nodded. ‘I know what that’s like,’ he said. ‘And I bet you’ve got one that’s stronger than the rest, haven’t you?’

Rose nodded again. ‘Yeah. I can see ‘im now. His right arm hooked around the clamp. His left arm reachin’ out to me, and he’s screamin’ my name as I’m fallin’ away from ‘im.’

‘Oh, you poor child,’ Rita Anne said, her hand reaching out sightlessly and finding Rose’s to squeeze it.

‘Mine’s the blank face of a Cyberman saying “I recognise you. I went first. My name was Jacqueline Tyler.’

Rose put a hand to her mouth. ‘Oh my God. That was in the factory. I remember that.’ Suddenly, all of Rose’s worries seemed insignificant compared to what Pete had been through.

‘It took a while for the shock and the horror of it to subside,’ He told her. ‘Now, it’s just another memory . . . Anyway, enough of that. Let’s enjoy our lunch.’

Jenny brought through a heated trolley, and put a plate of Sunday roast in front of everyone, and then went around with a gravy boat, asking if anyone wanted gravy. There was a hush around the table as the group started to eat, before conversations began.

‘Did you find your way around the Capital Ring okay, Rose?’ Mickey asked.

‘Yeah, fine. It’s a nice place to run,’ she replied.

‘This is a lovely roast,’ Jackie observed.

Rita Anne smiled. ‘Yes. Margaret is a wonderful cook.’

‘Hmm. She made me a brilliant cheese an’ onion sandwich yesterday,’ Rose told them.

‘Oh I haven’t had a cheese an’ onion sandwich for ages,’ Jackie said.

‘You’ll have to try one of Maggie’s, Mum. It was proper crusty bread, just like the ones you used to make when we were on holiday in the caravan in Tenby. Remember?’ Rose said.

‘I do,’ Jackie said. ‘And you’re callin’ her Maggie now are ya?’

‘Yeah. I sat in the kitchen with her and Jenny and had a chat while I ate the sandwich and drank me tea,’ Rose explained. ‘They were tellin’ me how long they’d worked here an’ everythin’. ‘An’ they were singin’ your praises, Pete. Said it was a pleasure to work for such a lovely man.’

‘Of course they did,’ Jackie said, as Pete looked embarrassed. ‘He is a lovely man.’

‘Amen,’ Rita Anne said.

Rose noticed that the memories of her childhood didn’t invoke the feelings of remorse, guilt, or loss, that her memories of her later life did. That was a welcome change.

After they had finished the main course, Jenny returned to clear away the plates and hand out the dishes of homemade apple pie with either cream or custard.

After lunch, Rose went out into the garden and sat on one of the benches at the rear of the house where she’d sat with Alice two days before. The thunderstorm had passed, and the weather had brightened up. She started writing in her diary about the book she had found to read, and her lunchtime conversations. Particularly about Pete’s flashback revelation.

‘May I join you Miss Tyler?’ a male voice asked. She looked up to see the House Manager, Alistair.

‘Yeah. Sure,’ she said, shuffling to one side.

‘I love this bench,’ he told her. ‘It’s so peaceful and private, and it catches the sun.’

‘Yeah, it’s nice,’ Rose agreed.

‘I know what it’s like you know.’

‘Excuse me?’ Rose said.

‘Losing someone you love suddenly, unexpectedly. Someone you thought you’d be with for the rest of your life.’

He saw her eyes starting to glisten with tears and decided to change tack.

‘Samantha,’ he said by way of explanation. ‘She was gorgeous . . .’ 

He started to tell her all about his lost love, Samantha. When he was in the army, he had been engaged to her and she had been killed in an ambush. As they sat on that bench in the sun, he told his story, and their friendship was kindled. When he had finished, Rose wiped her eyes with a tissue and held his hand.

‘Thank you Alistair. I know when you’re doin’ your “butler” thing you have to call me Miss Tyler, but when no one’s listenin’ would you call me Rose?’

‘I’d like that . . . Rose. Thank you.’ She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. Alistair smiled in satisfaction. That was progress; she was going to be alright.

Alistair went back into the house whilst Rose finished writing in her diary. When she had finished, she went back to the house also.

  
  


“ _ There's nothing we can do.” _

“ _ My mum's in there!” _

“ _ She is not your mother! Come on!” _

  
  


There it was again, that vision of having to leave Jackie to her fate. Rose wondered if she would always have that flashback as she walked past that window. It was one of the things she would have to ask Alice at their next session.


	5. Building Bridges

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose slowly starts to adapt to life in "Pete's World".

**Chapter 5**

**Building Bridges**

  
  
  


_“_ **_Offline._ ** _”_

_“I've got to get it upright!”_

_“_ **_Online and locked._ ** _”_

_“ROSE. HOLD ON! HOLD ONNNN!”_

  
  


Rose awoke with a start and sat bolt upright. She was in a cold sweat and gulping for air. She’d felt as though she was falling, and the Doctor was reaching out for her, screaming her name. Tears trickled down her cheeks as she recalled the nightmare. She thought she was going to die.

She banged her fists against her temples. ‘Get out! Get out! Get-out-of-my-head!’ she cried. ‘Just leave me alone!’ The nightmare kept haunting her and she just wanted it to go, once and for all.

She looked at the clock on the bedside table. It said it was 04:37, and it would be getting light soon. Did she get up and have a long day, or did she try and go back to sleep and risk the nightmare attacking her again?

She decided to go to the en-suite to have a pee, and splash some cold water on her face to try and wash away the remnant of her nightmare. She looked in the mirror over the sink, and saw the dark rings under her eyes.

‘Oh God. Look at you,’ she said to her reflection. ‘You need to get a grip girl.’

She returned to her bed and lay there, thinking. Not a good thing to do when you were tired and exhausted, but she couldn’t switch off her brain. 

  
  


_“How long did you wait?”_

_“Five and a half hours.”_

_“Great. Always wait five and a half hours.”_

  
  
  


She’d already waited five and a half hours. How much longer would it take him to power up the lever room and come and get her. He’d said travel between universes was impossible, but they’d done it plenty of times already. Surely one more time wasn’t going to collapse the walls of the universe.

And the nightmares. When, if ever, would they stop? When would she stop having flashbacks every time she saw something or heard something from her travels.

  
  


_“How long are you going to stay with me?”_

_“Forever.”_

  
  


“Forever . . . Forever . . .”

‘Forever,’ Rose muttered before waking with a start. She must have dropped off to sleep again, because the clock said 08:30. She turned onto her back and stared at the ceiling. 

‘Maybe I should have said for as long as possible,’ she said to herself, wondering if she had offended the all powerful god of time by being presumptuous and saying forever.

She wasn’t sure if she believed in gods. Proper gods that is, not the ones which required you to have faith in them to exist. She believed in demons though. She’d met one, on Krop Tor. So if there was a real devil, by inference there should be a god. She had another flashback.

  
  


_“If you are the Beast, then answer me this. Which one, hmm? Cos the universe has been busy since you've been gone. There's more religions than there are planets in the sky. The Archiphets, Orkology, Christianity, Pash Pash, New Judaism, San Klah, Church of the Tin Vagabond. Which devil are you?”_

_“_ **_All of them._ ** _”_

_“What, then you're the truth behind the myth?”_

_“_ **_This one knows me as I know him. The killer of his own kind._ ** _”_

_“How did you end up on this rock?”_

**_“The Disciples of the Light rose up against me and chained me in the pit for all eternity._ ** _”_

_“When was this?”_

_“_ **_Before time._ ** _”_

_“What does that mean?”_

_“_ **_Before time._ ** _”_

_“What does before time mean?”_

_“_ **_Before light and time and space and matter. Before the cataclysm. Before this universe was created._ ** _”_

_“That's impossible. No life could have existed back then.”_

_“_ **_Is that your religion?_ ** _”_

_“It's a belief.”_

_**“You know nothing. All of you, so small. The Captain, so scared of command. The soldier, haunted by the eyes of his wife. The scientist, still running from Daddy. The little boy who lied. The virgin. And the lost girl, so far away from home, the valiant child who will die in battle so very soon.”** _

_“Doctor, what does that mean?”_

_“Rose, don't listen.”_

_“What does it mean?”_

_“_ **_You will die and I will live._ ** _”_

  
  


‘Got that wrong, didn’t ya,’ Rose said to herself as she remembered the conversation over the radio. Maybe gods and demons weren’t as all powerful as they’d like people to think they were.

She pulled herself out of bed and went to have a shower. Alice was coming over this morning to see how she coped over the weekend. “Badly”, she thought to herself.

  
  


_“Hold on! Hold on!”_

_“[Oh, too late. I'm going up.]”_

_“It's all right, there's another lift.”_

_“[Ward twenty six . . . And watch out for the disinfectant.]”_

_“Watch out for what?”_

_“[The disinfectant!]”_

_“The what?”_

_“[The disin . . . Oh, you'll find out.]”_

  
  


Rose remembered with a smile as the jet of water sprayed over her head and body in the shower. She was surprised that she didn’t have the melancholy feeling she’d had previously with that flashback.

When she had dried herself off, she went back to the bedroom and started looking through her wardrobe. What to wear? She decided on a pair of tight fitting jeans, a purple blouse, and the knee length boots.

In the dining room, she found her mum and Rita Anne, and realised that Pete and Mickey had returned to their normal routine and gone to work.

‘Mornin’,’ Jackie said as Rose entered.

‘Good morning,’ Rita Anne greeted her.

‘Mornin’,’ Rose replied.

‘Are you alright Sweetheart?’ Jackie asked. She thought her daughter looked tired.

‘A bit of a rough night, but yeah, I’m okay, Mum.’

‘I get the impression that you are a very resilient and resourceful young lady,’ Rita Anne said kindly.

‘Thank you, but I don’t feel like that at the moment,’ Rose told her.

‘That is to be expected when you have lost as much as you have, Rose,’ Rita Anne replied. ‘But I’m sure you will bounce back. Remember, what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.’

After breakfast, Rose went to the lounge with them to read a few more chapters of the paperback before Alice arrived for her counselling session. She noticed that Jackie was also reading a book.

‘What’s that yer readin’, Mum?’

Jackie held the book up so Rose could see the cover. ‘Pete found it out for me. It’s my official biography.’

‘Yer what?’ Rose asked in disbelief.

‘Yeah. I know. How mad is that. Turn’s out I’m famous!’ Jackie said with a big smile.

Rose blew out her cheeks. ‘Blimey!’

When Alice arrived later that morning, they went to the drawing room for some privacy.

‘So how was your weekend?’ Alice asked. ‘Did you find something to distract you yesterday?’

‘Yeah. I found this book in the library,’ Rose said, showing her the paperback.

‘Oh, I’ve read that. It’s brilliant. Good choice,’ Alice replied with a grin.

‘I can’t believe half the stuff I’m readin’.’

‘I know. She’s clever, sassy, and she does it all on her terms. She’s in control . . . Sound familiar?’ Alice said.

‘Not really, no,’ Rose said with a frown, and saw how Alice was looking at her. ‘Yer can’t mean me?’

‘Well, not her line of work, no. But from what Mickey’s told me and from what we’ve talked about, I’d say you were clever and sassy. And you definitely do things on your own terms.’

Rose didn’t think she was any of those things, but that was only because she was entering the depression stage of grieving and had feelings of low self esteem. Alice taught her some more cognitive therapy techniques which she could use when she was feeling overwhelmed by the pain, sadness, guilt and anger.

‘Well, I think we’re done for today, Rose,’ Alice announced. ‘I know it will be hard, but force yourself to socialise more. I mean, you said you enjoyed Saturday lunchtime in the kitchen.’

‘Yeah, I did. I think it was because they were strangers. They didn’t know me, so they couldn’t judge me.’

Alice smiled at her. ‘Just remember, no one here is judging you, everyone here is loving you . . . You can use that as a mantra if you want.’

‘Yeah. I think I will,’ Rose said with a smile as they stood and hugged.

‘And remember, you can call me anytime you like.’

‘Thanks, Alice . . . for everythin’.’

‘No problem. See you soon.’

Alice left to go back to the Institute, and Rose went to the lounge to read her book in the company of her mother and Rita Anne.

Before her lunch, Rose went back to her room and changed into her tracksuit. She was going to have a run to sharpen her appetite. This time, when she got onto Capital Ring, she ran in the opposite direction, crossed over Muswell Hill Road, and ran around Highgate Wood, which was about twice the size of Queen’s Wood. She found the rhythm of putting one foot in front of the other hypnotic, and was able to “switch off” for a while.

She had her lunch with Jackie and Rita Anne in the dining room, and smiled to herself when she noticed her mother was eating a cheese and onion sandwich, with pickle, on crusty bread. After her lunch, she went back to the sanctuary of her room, where she could reflect on things and write them in her diary.

_“Hi Doctor. I had that nightmare again where I was falling into the breach. That must have been awful for you to watch. I keep thinking I can hear the TARDIS coming, but it never does. I know you will manage it one day, because you never give up. I went for a run again today. There are some nice woods at the back of the mansion where I can be on my own and clear my head. You’ll laugh at this, it turns out Mum’s famous over here. She’s reading her own biography. How funny is that?”_

She was interrupted by a knock at the door. ‘Rose, Babe. You in there?’ She didn’t realise the time. It was half past four, and Mickey was back from the Institute.

‘Yeah. Come on in,’ Rose called to him.

‘Hiya. How’ya doin’?’ he asked her as he entered.

‘Oh, y’know . . . So so,’ she replied.

He gave her a lopsided smile. ‘As well as can be expected, eh? I just came to give you these.’ He held out a plastic carrier bag which was wrapped around something.’

‘What are they?’ Rose asked as she accepted the bag and started to unwrap it.

‘Alice sent them. She said if you were enjoying the book you were readin’ then you might like these as well.’

When Rose unwrapped the items, she found they were a couple of paperback books. ‘Oh, that’s lovely. That was so thoughtful of her. I’ll give her a ring later and thank her.’

Mickey stood there awkwardly. ‘Well, I’d better . . .’ He pointed towards the door.

‘Yeah,’ Rose said, just as awkwardly. ‘Oh. How was your day?’

Mickey smiled, glad of the conversational lifeline he’d been thrown. He wasn’t going to rush it, but with the Doctor now permanently out of the way, he hoped that he and Rose could get back to how they had once been. No. That wasn’t true. He hoped they could be better than they had once been. New world, new relationship.

‘Yeah. Great. Y’know, the same wacky weirdness that goes on under people’s noses and they no nothin’ about it.’

‘Only because Torchwood hides it,’ Rose said.

‘Well, yeah. But only the stuff which would cause global panic and meltdown. Pete’s done an amazin’ job of cleanin’ up the Institute. He’s even set up a regular monthly meetin’ with the president so she know’s what’s goin’ on.’

‘She? Who is the president here? I remember seein’ the old one get electrocuted by the Cybermen downstairs,’ Rose said.

  
  


“ **_Upgrading is compulsory._ **”

“ _And if I refuse?”_

“ _Don't.”_

“ _What if I refuse?”_

“ _I'm telling you, don't.”_

“ _What happens if I refuse?”_

“ **_Then you are not compatible._ **”

“ _What happens then?”_

“ **_You will be deleted._ **”

  
  


‘You ain’t gonna believe this,’ Mickey told her. ‘Harriet Jones.’

‘NO!’ Rose said in disbelief. ‘Seriously? Hah! Harriet Jones? Like, our Harriet Jones? MP for Flydale North Harriet Jones?’

‘Apparently yeah. An’ she’s really good at it,’ Mickey said.

‘Who’d have thought it? Wellll. Parallel world, parallel Prime Minister . . . Wellll, parallel President at least,’ she said in the style of the Doctor without thinking. She looked down at the books in her hands. ‘Well, thanks for bringin’ these Mickey. I’ll see ya later, yeah?’

Mickey realised the conversation was over. He knew she needed time to be on her own so she could adjust to this new world. ‘Yeah . . . Maybe see ya in the dinin’ room later? Maggie’s doin’ shepherd’s pie.’

  
  


_“What does he eat?”_

_“How do you mean?”_

_“I was going to do shepherds pie. All of us. A proper sit down, 'cos I'm ready to listen. I wanna learn about you and him and that life you lead. Only, I don't know, he's an alien. For all I know, he eats grass and safety pins and things.”_

_“He'll have shepherd pie. You're going to cook for him?”_

_“What's wrong with that?”_

_“He's finally met his match.”_

_“You're not too old for a slap, you know.”_

  
  


Rose smiled at the flashback. ‘Yeah. That sounds good. I’ll see ya later.’

It wasn’t lost on her that a flashback had made her smile, and she noted it in her diary. She needed more of those.

Unusually, Pete had finished on time at six o’clock. Mainly because he knew he had a wife waiting for him at home. He had taken off his jacket and tie, and was sitting at the dining table with the rest of the household when Rose entered.

‘Oh Rose. You’ve come to join us,’ Jackie said enthusiastically. ‘I was just tellin’ Pete about that time I was goin’ to cook shepherd's pie for . . .’ She realised that she was about to mention the absent “elephant in the room”.

‘For the Doctor, yeah,’ Rose said with a smile. ‘I thought about that as well when Mickey mentioned it. You wondered if he ate grass an’ safety pins.’

Everyone around the table laughed, but Jackie was laughing with relief, and also with some surprise. Her daughter had mentioned the Doctor without the sad expression on her face. It looked like the sessions with Alice were working.

As with Sunday lunch, Jenny entered the dining room with the heated trolley and started to hand out the plates of food. After the evening meal was finished, everyone started to drift away to whatever it was they did in the evenings. Before Rose disappeared upstairs though, Pete called to her.

‘Oh, Rose? I’ve got something for you. It’s in the lounge.’

Rose frowned. ‘For me?’

In the lounge, Pete picked up a branded carrier bag off the low table and handed it to Rose. ‘Just a little something from me and your mum.’

Rose looked at the logo on the bag, which read “Computer World”. She looked inside and took out a book sized box. The box said “Cybus E6440 E-Pad”

‘What’s this?’ Rose asked.

‘Well. I remember you having to use Mickey’s tablet to look at the online map the other day, and thought you might be able to use one yourself,’ Pete explained.

Rose’s eyes started to fill with tears. ‘Yeah. I could . . . Thank you.’ She moved over to him, reached up on tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. ‘That is SO thoughtful. Thank you.’

‘You’re welcome,’ Pete said with a beaming smile. As Rose turned around and headed for the door, Pete looked at Jackie with raised eyebrows, pointed to his cheek and mouthed the words, _“she kissed me”_.

Jackie stroked his cheek and put a kiss of her own there. ‘Of course she did, yer puddin’. That’s what daughters do. And that was so nice of ya, I’m goin’ to give you a special treat tonight when we go to bed.’

‘Really?’ Pete said with his cheeky “you can trust me on this” smile. He looked at his watch. ‘I didn’t realise it was so late. Is it bedtime already?’

Jackie rolled her eyes with a laugh. ‘It might as well be. Come on then if yer gonna have your wicked way with me.’

Pete took her hand and they literally ran up the stairs.

In her room, Rose opened the box and took out the tablet PC. She didn’t know what all the numbers referred to about processor speed and memory, but she guessed it would be top-of-the-range. She had never really bothered with computers in the old universe. She’d always had Mickey’s to use when she needed to, and when she had started to travel with the Doctor, well, the TARDIS was a living machine!

She plugged the charger into a wall socket and connected it to the tablet. When she switched it on, it played a pleasant four note jingle. The screen came to life and displayed a message, “Say Hello”.

‘Hello?’ Rose said cautiously.

[ **‘Hello. I am your Cybus e, six four four zero e pad,’** ] the tablet told her. [ **‘If you give me a name, I can provide a secure device lock until you say my name. When you are ready, touch the record button on the screen and say the name you have chosen.’** ]

‘Oh. Right,’ Rose said, taken by surprise by this request.

What name should she choose? There were her best mates, Shareen, or Keisha. No, that reminded her of all the good times she would no longer be able to have with them. She then remembered a name which gave her a flashback.

  
  


_“And last but not least, our very special guest. Ladies and gentlemen, and trees and multiforms, consider the Earth below. In memory of this dying world, we call forth the last Human. The Lady Cassandra O'Brien Dot Delta Seventeen.”_

  
  


“No chance,” she thought to herself with a shiver. But then there was one name which she remembered with fondness. She touched the on-screen, red record button and spoke.

‘Gwyneth.’

[ **‘The name you have chosen for me is “Gwyneth”. Please say “confirm” if that is correct, or if not, try again.’** ] The name “Gwyneth” was displayed on the screen.

‘Confirm,’ Rose said.

[ **‘Thank you. Now if you wish, you can give me your name so that I can address you by your name. If you wish to proceed, touch the record button on the screen and say your name. Otherwise touch “cancel”,’** ] Gwyneth instructed.

‘Yeah. Go on then,’ Rose said to herself. She pressed the record button again. ‘Rose.’

[ **‘Your name is Rose. Is that correct? Please say “confirm” if that is correct, or if not, try again.’** ]

‘Confirm.’

[ **‘Hello, Rose. What can I do for you today?’** ] Gwyneth asked.

‘I don’t suppose you can punch a hole in the fabric of the universe and send me back to my own world,’ Rose asked sarcastically.

[ **‘I don’t think I am able to do that, Rose. Would you like to see references to science fiction books or videos?’** ] Gwyneth asked her. The advanced algorithm had identified “hole”, and “fabric of the universe” as science fiction.

“No, I thought not”, she thought to herself. ‘No thank you, Gwyneth.’ And then she wondered if there was something Gwyneth could do. ‘Gwyneth, can you transfer the music and pictures off my phone to you?’

[ **‘Searching for bluetooth devices nearby . . . Device found . . . Rose’s phone . . . If you wish to transfer media from . . . Rose’s phone . . . please allow transfer on that device.’** ]

‘Oh, right,’ Rose said, and reached her phone out of her pocket. She went into the settings and enabled bluetooth transfer. Gwyneth linked her phone and started to transfer the files.

[ **‘Would you like to listen to some music, Rose?’** ]

‘That was quick,’ Rose said. ‘Er, yeah. Play “Hit me with your rhythm stick” please.’

[ **‘Playing, “Hit me with your rhythm stick”.’** ]

Rose sat on the windowsill seat as the introductory riff started, and gazed out of the window, watching the Doctor hit the TARDIS console with his rhythm mallet.

  
  
  



	6. Going Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose finds out that she's rich and Jackie takes her for some retail therapy.  
> (I resisted for as long as I could, but this is a "Jackie being Jackie" chapter. I hope you enjoy it).

**Chapter 6**

**Going Out**

  
  
  


Rose’s days seemed to follow a fairly regular pattern. She would have a nightmare in the early hours of the morning. She would drop off to sleep again and have a vivid dream about her adventures with the Doctor. She would wake up around eight o’clock, and have a shower. Go down for breakfast with her mum and Rita Anne. Read a couple of chapters of her book. Go for a run. Write in her diary. Watch some afternoon TV with her mum. Have her evening meal with everyone, and then go back to her room.

The week dragged on until it was Friday, and she noticed that the nightmares and the flashbacks seemed to be losing their intensity. They were also becoming less frequent. There was also a change to the routine after the evening meal.

‘Hey, Rose. We’re all goin’ down the pub after. Fancy comin’?’ Mickey asked her.

‘Who’s “we”?’ she asked in return.

‘Alistair, Jenny, and Maggie. It’s sort of a Friday night tradition,’ Mickey told her. ‘Jenny and Maggie have a drink before they go home.’

‘I don’t know,’ she said uncertainly. ‘Would they want to drink with the boss’s daughter?’

‘Ah. Alistair said you might not want to drink with the staff,’ he told her. ‘Never mind. Maybe another time then.’

That last comment raised her hackles. Who did they think she was? Well, their boss’s daughter obviously. But she wasn’t posh. She was a working girl from a council estate. ‘Alistair said that did he . . ? Okay. I’ll come an’ ‘ave a drink with ya, yeah.’

‘Great. We’ll be by the front door at half seven. Don’t be late,’ Mickey said with a cheeky grin.

What Rose didn’t know was that Alistair had said no such thing. Mickey had been talking to Alice about ways of getting Rose out of the house and socialising. Alice knew that if Rose thought the staff considered her to be “posh” and above their station, she would do her best to show them she was just a normal, working girl.

Rose was at the front door in jeans, sweatshirt, hoodie and trainers, showing them she was “Rose from the ‘hood”. When they had all gathered, they went out the door, down the drive, and onto Queenswood Road. After three hundred yards, it became Wood Lane which continued to the junction with Muswell Hill Road. Just around the corner, at the junction with Archway Road, was the Woodman Inn.

It was a white, two storey building, with what looked like a third floor in the attic. They walked past a beer garden behind a low, wooden picket fence. There were hanging baskets of flowers, and on a first floor balcony, there were numerous tubs containing flowering plants and shrubs. Inside, it was bright and airy, with a traditional “L” shaped bar with various pumps on the counter top.

Mickey thought back to their times at the Canterbury Arms on the Powell Estate in the old universe. ‘You still drink cider?’ he asked Rose.

‘Oh, yeah. I’ll have a half please,’ Rose replied.

When they had got their drinks, Alistair led them around the corner of the bar and out of the back door to a wooden veranda, with picnic benches. It was a warm July evening, and there were fairy lights strung up along the veranda and across the beer garden.

‘This is nice,’ Rose said, looking around as she sat down.

‘It is, yes,’ Maggie agreed. ‘We’re lucky to have such a nice local on our doorstep.’

‘Is it alright for you to call me Rose now,’ Rose asked tentatively.

Jenny laughed. ‘Course it is . . . Rose.’

‘I don’t know why y’don’t call me Rose all the time,’ she said.

‘Ah. That’s professional etiquette, Rose,’ Alistair told her. ‘Wouldn’t be right when we’re being paid.’

Mickey nodded in agreement with Rose. ‘I know what y’mean Babe. Did me head in when I first moved in.’

‘When was that?’ Rose asked. The last time she’d seen him was with Jake at Lambeth Pier. 

Mickey took a drink of his pint. ‘Well. After you and the Boss left, me and Jake went to Paris to kick some Cyberman arse. When we got there though, the government said we had to leave them alone. They wanted to try an’ reverse the process. So, me and Jake came back to London, where Torchwood had offered us a job. Pete wanted to meet my gran, and he invited us to stay at the mansion. Result!’

‘I bet that was mostly down to your gran,’ Rose said with a grin.

Mickey was about to protest, but then thought about it. ‘Yeah. I think you’re right.’

The evening continued pleasantly, and the mansion staff were enthralled by Rose’s and Mickey’s tales of their past exploits. After finishing a second round of drinks however, Maggie looked at her watch.

‘Oh, look at the time. Sorry to break up such a pleasant evening, but I really must catch the next train.’

‘Me too,’ Jenny said, and they both stood up. ‘I hope you’ll join us again Rose. It’s been really nice to get to know you.’

That took Rose by surprise. ‘Oh, yeah. Of course. I’ve really enjoyed it . . . More than I thought I would actually. I’d love to do this again.’

‘Great. Well, we’ll see you in the mornin’ then,’ Jenny said and they set off for Highgate tube station, which was literally two minutes away.

‘One for the road?’ Alistair asked as the ladies left.

‘Yeah, I don’t mind,’ Mickey said. ‘Rose?’

Rose thought about it. This was the best time she’s had since she’d arrived in “Pete’s World”. She smiled at them. ‘Yeah. I’d like that. Go on then.’

  
  


+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

  
  


It was Saturday morning, and Rose roused from her sleep. Something was different. She didn’t know if it was the cider, the company, or just that she was coming to terms with her predicament, but she hadn’t woken up in a panic, and she couldn’t remember having had any nightmares.

She performed her usual morning ablutions, pulled on a denim skirt, plum coloured top, blue hoodie, and white trainers before heading down for breakfast. She found Pete and her mum already there, tucking into their full English breakfast. Rita Anne had already eaten apparently and was in the lounge.

‘Hiya everyone,’ Mickey said as he came through the door and took a seat next to Rose. ‘How’s yer head?’

‘Good thanks. I didn’t have that much to drink,’ she informed him. She then noticed that he was wearing a grey bathrobe and had a towel around his neck. Why hadn’t he got dressed before coming down for breakfast? ‘You been in the shower?’

‘Eh?’ he replied with a frown, and then realised what she meant. ‘Oh, the bathrobe. No, I’ve been for a swim.’

Now she was really confused. ‘A swim? Where’s there a swimmin’ baths around here?’

Mickey laughed. ‘In the basement. There’s a pool in the basement.’

‘Sorry Rose,’ Pete apologised. ‘I didn’t realise. I had the old wine vaults converted into a swimming pool while the house was being repaired.’

‘It’s great,’ Mickey told her. ‘Diving board, slide, and a swim-against-the-current pump.’

‘Oh I love swimmin’,’ Rose told them.

‘I remember you two used to go to the leisure centre pool near Peckham Library,’ Jackie recalled.

‘Oh yeah. Peckham Pulse,’ Mickey remembered.

‘I’ll have to get me a cozzy,’ Rose said and then realised that might be a problem. She reached her wallet out of her hoodie pocket and took out a five pound note and a handful of coins. ‘Ah. I don’t think that’ll cover it.’

Mickey laughed as he remembered having the same problem when he’d decided to stay in “Pete’s World”. ‘Yer can put that away Babe. It ain’t no good in this world.’

‘Why not?’ Rose asked, slightly indignant that he thought her money was no good.

‘Well, it’s got the queen’s face on it for a start,’ Mickey replied.

‘Has it?’ Pete asked. ‘Can I see?’

Rose passed him the five pound note, and he scrutinised it. ‘So which queen is this then?’

‘Elizabeth the second,’ Rose informed him.

‘Oh. Right. I’d forgotten what she looked like,’ Pete said with raised eyebrows. He hadn’t seen her face since the Silver Jubilee in seventy seven. ‘Anyway, you don’t have to worry about money, Rose. As heir to the Vitex fortune, you get an allowance from the shares dividend.’

‘What’cha mean, “heir to the Vitex fortune”? I ain’t no heir,’ Rose told him.

‘Oh but you are Sweetheart,’ Jackie said. ‘I told ya, we’re famous. Remember?’

‘Mum. What are yer on about?’ Rose asked her as though she’d suddenly lost the plot.

‘She’s right Sweetheart,’ Pete confirmed. ‘I’m the boss of one of the biggest companies in Britain, which means that you, me, and your mum are rich.’

‘But I can’t just take yer money . . . It’s not right,’ Rose told him.

‘Why not?’ Jackie asked. ‘I am.’

‘It’s not my money, Rose. As shareholders, it’s our share of the company’s profits,’ Pete explained. ‘Jackie . . . My Jackie took some shares when we floated the company on the stock market all those years ago, which means those are your mum’s now. And of course, as my daughter, you get a share of them as well.’

Rose frowned. She’d always had to work to earn money, and sometimes it was a struggle to make ends meet. And now to be told that she would never have to work again didn’t sit well with her.

‘I don’t know. It just doesn’t feel right,’ she confessed.

‘Hey. If you want to get a job and earn your own way, then that’s fine by me,’ Pete said. ‘You want your independence, and I admire that. But I contacted the bank yesterday and set up an account for you, and I got my solicitor to make it all legal and above board. The money is there if you want it.’

‘I, I don’t know what to say.’

‘Thank you would be a start,’ Jackie said sarcastically.

‘Yes, of course. Thanks . . .’ She was about to call him Dad but thought that might be a step too far, too soon. ‘. . . Pete. Thank you very much.’

‘Tell yer what Sweetheart. After breakfast, why don’t we go into town and hit the shops?’ Jackie suggested.

‘I suppose we could, yeah,’ Rose agreed.

Mickey grinned at Pete. ‘I hope you’ve got an overdraft on the account.’

  
  


+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

  
  


‘Misses Tyler! How nice to see you in here again,’ an enthusiastic sales manager said as Jackie and Rose entered Henrick’s. ‘How long has it been? Three, four years?’

‘Yeah. It must be somethin’ like that,’ Jackie replied.

‘ _Blimey, Mum. This place is a bit more upmarket than the one in our world,’_ Rose whispered.

‘ _Yeah. It’s like Selfridge’s or Harrod’s,’_ Jackie agreed.

‘Would you like Justin to see to you as usual?’ the manager asked.

‘Excuse me?’ Jackie asked, wondering what kind of services this version of Henrick’s offered.

‘Your personal shopper, Justin. Would you like him to assist you?’

‘Oh. Personal shopper. Justin. Yes. Of course,’ Jackie said with relief.

Rose had heard the term retail therapy, but Alice would have really approved of this therapy, because Rose had to bury her face in her mother’s shoulder to suppress the laughter which was rising in her chest.

[‘Justin to customer service desk please. Justin to customer service desk. Priority client waiting,’] the manager announced over the store’s public address system.

Jackie looked at Rose with raised eyebrows. ‘Priority client. I think I’m goin’ to enjoy it here.’

‘ _Mum! Don’t go mad. Y’don’t want to bankrupt Pete on yer first visit,’_ Rose warned.

‘I won’t Sweetheart. And anyway, we’re here for you today.’

‘Misses Tyler. How lovely to see you again,’ a camp man in a sharp suit said as he approached, using expansive hand gestures as he spoke. ‘And who do we have here? Please tell me you want me to weave my magic and turn her from chav to chic.’

‘OI! What’cha mean, “chav”?’ Rose asked indignantly.

Jackie held up her hand to prevent the inevitable verbal tirade, and looked at what her daughter was wearing. ‘He’s got a point, Love.’

‘Wha?!’

‘Justin. This is my daughter Rose, and she’d like a swimmin’ costume,’ Jackie explained. ‘And maybe a makeover while yer at it.’

‘ _I’ll give you a makeover with my fist in a minute,’_ Rose hissed.

‘Your daughter!’ Justin said in wide-eyed surprise. ‘You never said you had a daughter Misses Tyler. And such a beautiful one to boot.’

_‘I’ll boot ‘im in a minute,’_ Rose whispered sullenly.

‘Takes after her mother,’ Jackie said cheekily.

‘Of course she does, but don’t you have a dog called Rose?’ Justin asked. ‘That must be confusing.’

‘Not really. Rose has been at boardin’ school in Switzerland . . . That’s my daughter Rose, not my dog Rose, of course.’

‘Of course Madam,’ Justin said, slightly nonplussed by the apparent change of personality in one of his best tipping clients.

‘That’s where I’ve been ‘til now,’ Jackie explained. ‘What with the mansion bein’ trashed by them Cybermen an’ everythin’.’

‘Oh that must have been awful for you,’ Justin sympathised. Post traumatic stress would certainly explain a lot.

‘So, Justin. Swimmin’ costumes?’ Jackie prompted.

‘Of course. In the sportswear section. Follow me.’

Rose opened the curtain of the changing cubicle in the sportswear section for Jackie to see what she thought. ‘What’cha think, Mum?’ It was a one piece red swimsuit with the leg cut high on the hip. 

‘Oh Sweetheart. That really shows off your figure,’ Jackie said. ‘An’ look at yer legs. They’re so fit an’ shapely.’

‘It’s all the runnin’ I . . . used to do,’ Rose explained, her face falling as she remembered what she’d lost.

“Oh dammit!” Jackie thought to herself. “Just get her to cheer up and I go and put my foot in it”. 

However, Justin came to the rescue. ‘Oh, exquisite,’ he said, clasping his hands together in front of him. ‘Baywatch look out, there’s a new babe in town.’

‘It’s alright then?’ Rose asked.

‘With a figure like that Madam, I can recommend some backless, high cut thong one pieces, or some cut outs . . .’ Justin enthused.

‘Er, no. this’ll do fine thanks. I just want to swim in it, not win a beauty contest,’ Rose said with her mother’s acerbic wit.

‘ _Such-a-shame,_ ’ Justin said under his breath. ‘Very good Madam. I’ll have that wrapped for you. Now, can I interest you in our new Autumn range?’

‘Autumn range?’ Jackie asked. ‘Doesn’t this world have a Summer then?’

‘Oh. You want a whole new wardrobe?’ Justin asked. Jackie swore she could hear the “kerching”, and see the pound signs in his eyes. ‘Why didn’t you say Ma’am. Please, follow me.’

Rose opened the curtain of the changing cubicle in the womenswear section this time, wearing a Laura Ashley style, loose fitting, knee length, flower print, sleeveless dress, with white sandals and a wide brimmed white hat “plonked” on the crown of her head.

‘Can we lose the hat?’ she asked with some uncertainty. ‘I’m not really a hat person . . . except in the winter to keep me ears warm.’

For some reason, she remembered New Year’s Day, two thousand and five. It was just after midnight, and she was wearing her purple beanie hat. A drunk  had  thr o w n up in the shadows. He’ d been so drunk that he  ha dn’t even know n what year it was, let alone that it was New Year’s Day.  Why did that drunk seem so familiar to her now?

  
  


‘Oh but Madam, if it is worn properly . . .’ Justin continued, proceeding to bring the hat forward to level it up, and then tilt it slightly to the left. ‘There,’ he said with satisfaction, indicating with a sweep of his arm that she should look in the mirror.

‘Oh,’ Rose said in surprise. ‘I see what’cha mean.’

‘And with a short, white jacket.’ He helped her to put on a short white jacket. ‘And viola. Madam is ready for a day at the races.’

Rose had never worn anything this expensive or high class before, and she quite liked the new look. ‘Actually, that’s not bad.’

‘Not bad?’ Jackie said. ‘Rose, you look gorgeous.’

She tried on other dresses, some loose fitting, others tight fitting. She tried tops, skirts, trousers, shorts, coats, and footwear. Rose didn’t realise it at the time, but being attended to by Justin took her mind off her present predicament, and directed her thoughts away from the Doctor.

She opened the curtains to reveal a knee length, deep red cotton skirt which buttoned up the front, a black and white striped T-shirt, and a leather jacket.

‘Oh very Parisian,’ Justin said with a clasp of his hands. ‘And if I may . . .’ He proceeded to place a red beret on her head at a jaunty angle.

Rose looked in the mirror and grinned. ‘I’ve nailed this hat wearin’ thing, ain’t I?’

‘You certainly have Sweetheart,’ Jackie said, only too happy that her daughter was enjoying herself.

‘I’ve had an inspiration,’ Justin announced, and gave Rose a couple more items to try on.

When the curtains opened she had replaced the cotton skirt with a black, Alexander McQueen leather skirt, fishnet tights, and Giuseppe Zanotti knee length boots.

‘Rock chick,’ Justin announced. ‘Or should that be rock chic.’

‘Looks like I’ve got a leather fetish,’ Rose said sarcastically, and Jackie snorted a laugh. ‘But I reckon I could recombine some of the items.’

When Rose felt that she had enough items to fill the wardrobe on the TARDIS, they made their way to the service counter. That thought caused another flashback.

  
  


_“Go out there dressed like that, you'll start a riot, Barbarella. There's a wardrobe through there. First left, second right, third on the left, go straight ahead, under the stairs, past the bins, fifth door on your left. Hurry up!”_

  
  


‘Shall I charge it to your account as usual Misses Tyler?’ the sales manager asked.

‘Oh, yes please Love,’ Jackie replied.

‘And I hope you found my services as useful as ever,’ Justin said with a waggle of his eyebrows.

‘Yes. Very helpful,’ Jackie told him.

_‘Mum. I think he’s waitin’ for a tip,’_ Rose whispered.

_‘Less of the hair gel would be my tip,’_ Jackie whispered back as she opened her handbag. _‘How much should I tip ‘im?’_

_‘I don’t know. You’re the rich an’ famous one,’_ Rose told her. _‘Try fifty quid.’_

_‘FIFTY?! Oh alright._ And that’s for your trouble, Love,’ Jackie said, handing over a fifty pound note. Knowing Henrick’s, and knowing Jackie, Pete had given her some loose change. Five hundred pounds worth.

‘Oh it was hardly any trouble Misses Tyler,’ Justin said sarcastically.

_‘Slip ‘im another one Mum, you’re famous,’_ Rose whispered.

‘And that’s from my daughter,’ Jackie added, handing over another note.

Justin’s face lit up. ‘Oh, it was my pleasure ladies. Do you have a car waiting, I’ll get the staff to carry out your bags.’

The chauffeur driven, Vitex car had a special VIP waiting permit, which as long as the driver was in the car, allowed it to wait in restricted parking areas. They waited at the curb for the driver to pull up beside them, where he got out and opened the boot for the floor assistant’s to load the bags, whilst Jackie and Rose sat in the back seats. With nothing to distract her now, Rose was reminded of another chauffeur driven journey.

  
  


_“This is a bit posh. If I knew it was goin’ to be like this, bein’ arrested, I’d have done it years ago.”_

_“We're not being arrested, we're being escorted.”_

_“Where to?”_

_“Where'd you think? Downing Street.”_

_“You're kiddin’.”_

_“I'm not.”_

_“Ten Downin’ Street?”_

_“That's the one.”_

_“Oh, my God. I'm goin’ to Ten Downin’ Street? How come?”_

_“I hate to say it, but Mickey was right. Over the years I've visited this planet a lot of times, and I've been, er, noticed.”_

_“Now they need you?”_

_“Like it said on the news. They're gathering experts in alien knowledge. And who's the biggest expert of the lot?”_

_“Patrick Moore?”_

_“Apart from him.”_

_“Oh, don't you just love it.”_

_“I'm telling you. Lloyd George, he used to drink me under the table . . . Who's the Prime Minister now?”_

_“How should I know? I missed a year.”_

  
  


‘You okay, Sweetheart?’ Jackie asked, seeing her daughter’s sad, thoughtful expression.

‘Wha? Oh, yeah. I’m okay Mum. I was just rememberin’ when we were driven to Downin’ Street that time when the Slitheen crashed that ship in the Thames.’

‘Oh yeah. That’s when all the weirdness started happenin’, Jackie remembered. ‘An’ look where that got us.’

‘Yeah,’ Rose sighed. She would literally sell her soul to get back to that weirdness.

It’s fair to say that one of them was overjoyed to be in another universe, and one was not.

  
  
  



	7. Unwanter Attention

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mickey finds something unexpected, and it's fair to say Rose loses it, big time.

**Chapter 7**

**Unwanted Attention**

  
  
  


“ **_Offline._ ** ”

“ _ I've got to get it upright!” _

“ **_Online and locked._ ** ”

“ _ ROSE. HOLD ON! HOLD ONNNN!” _

_ “I can’t Doctor. But don’t worry. I don’t die.” _

_ “ROSE!” _

_ “I’ll see you again my Love. I promise.” _

  
  


“I promise . . . I promise . . .” Rose awoke from what should have been a nightmare, but turned out to be a dream about hope. She wiped her hair off her face and frowned.

‘Hmph. That was different!’ she said to herself. 

She hadn’t felt as though she was falling as she normally did in the nightmare. This time she felt as though she was flying, and remembered Woody from “Toy Story” saying that flying was falling with style. There was something else as well, as though something hidden inside her was helping her. That was crazy she decided, and got out of bed.

It was another boring Sunday, but instead of putting some clothes on, she put her new swimming costume on and looked at herself in the mirror, turning left and right. She ran her hand down her flat abdomen, and turned away to look at her bum over her shoulder. No, she’d still got her pert bum she decided. She slipped on her full length bathrobe, grabbed a towel from the en-suite, and headed for the basement.

When you entered Tyler House through the front door, the grand staircase was directly in front of you, rising to a landing which then branched left and right to ascend to the west and east wings of the house. To the right of the grand staircase, under the first landing, used to be a door which led down to the basement vaults. Unbeknown to everyone in the house, Pete’s wife had made an ill fated journey down those stairs to escape the Cybermen.

That was all gone now though, replaced with a passageway under the landing, and a set of double doors which opened onto a staircase below the grand staircase. Rose went through the doors, and the lights came on automatically, showing a set of glass doors at the bottom. She descended the stairs and passed through the glass doors into what looked like a modern health spa. The columns and arches had been clad in marble, and lit with wall lights and spot lights. It was very posh.

She put her towel on one of the round patio tables and draped her bathrobe over the back of a chair. She went to the handrail of the steps and dipped her toe in the water. The temperature was perfect, and she lowered herself into the water. She dipped down and pushed away from the edge, pulling herself through the water. She hadn’t been for a swim since she had been . . . in the TARDIS. She’d forgotten how good it felt. She swam a few lengths, and then noticed that there was a big red button on the poolside.

  
  
  


_ “Who exactly are you?” _

_ “Well, that's the question.” _

_ “I DEMAND TO KNOW WHO YOU ARE!” _

_ “I DON’T KNOW! See, there's the thing. I'm the Doctor, but beyond that, I just don't know. I literally do not know who I am. It's all untested. Am I funny? Am I sarcastic? Sexy? Right old misery? Life and soul? Right handed? Left handed? A gambler? A fighter? A coward? A traitor? A liar? A nervous wreck? I mean, judging by the evidence, I've certainly got a gob. And how am I going to react when I see this, a great big threatening button. A great big threatening button which must not be pressed under any circumstances, am I right? Let me guess. It's some sort of control matrix, hmm? Hold on, what's feeding it? And what've we got here? Blood? Yeah, definitely blood. Human blood. A Positive, with just a dash of iron. Argh, but that means blood control. Blood control! Oh, I haven't seen blood control for years. You're controlling all the A Positives. Which leaves us with a great big stinking problem. Because I really don't know who I am. I don't know when to stop. So if I see a great big threatening button which should never, ever, ever be pressed, then I just want to do this.”  _

  
  


Rose pressed the “great big non-threatening” button, and felt a current of water from the far end of the pool. It was the swim-against-the- current pump which Mickey had mentioned, and she started to swim against the current. She swam for about an hour, before letting the current carry her to the shallow end, where she hit the button again and climbed out. She wiped herself down with the towel and slipped on her bathrobe, before creating a “towel turban” on her head. All that swimming had given her an appetite. She was ready for breakfast.

‘Hiya Babe,’ Mickey said as Rose walked into the dining room. He was reading the back page of the Sunday newspaper which contained the sports news.

‘Mornin’ Sweetheart,’ Jackie greeted her. ‘How was your swim?’

‘It was great, thanks Mum.’

She helped herself to some toast off the Lazy Susan and spread some marmalade on it. As she poured a glass of orange juice, Mickey turned over the paper and started reading the front page.

‘How was the E-pad?’ Pete asked.

‘It’s brilliant. Thank you ever so much,’ Rose said with a smile.

Mickey opened the paper to read the next page. ‘Oh look. There’s a photo . . . Ah.’

‘What is it, Mickey?’ Jackie asked.

Mickey quickly closed the paper. ‘Er, nothin’.’

This made everyone suspicious.

Rose playfully snatched the paper from him. ‘It must be somethin’. You said there was a pho . . . Oh shit!’ 

‘What is it, Sweetheart?’ Jackie asked with concern.

Rose held up the paper and turned it around so they could all see it. There was an article with a title which asked, “WHO’S THAT GIRL?”. And under that was a photograph of her and Jackie standing on the pavement outside Henrick’s as they waited for their car to pull up alongside them. The subtitle read, “Celebrity spouse Jackie Tyler, wife of Vitex boss Pete Tyler is back in town with a mystery girl in tow. Her daughter, Rose.”

Jackie cast an icy look at her husband. ‘Pete! They can’t do that. That’s an invasion of privacy!’

Pete had a lopsided smile on his face. ‘They can do that, because you were in a public place.’

‘But it’s not right!’ Rose exclaimed, almost in tears. ‘I didn’t give ‘em permission to take my photo. An’ I certainly didn’t give ‘em permission to print it in a national newspaper.’

‘I’m afraid it’s freedom of the press,’ Pete explained. ‘Jacks is famous, and that makes you famous by association. The paparazzi hang around department stores, restaurants, and hotels which they know the rich and famous frequent.’ He took the paper and looked at the photograph. ‘The guy who took this must have thought Christmas had come early.’

‘An’ you’re alright with it, are ya?’ Jackie asked in an annoyed tone.

‘No. But I am used to it. It used to happen all the time before Jackie . . .’ He faltered, and then recovered. ‘She used to collect the articles like trophies. In fact, she was disappointed if she didn’t get a mention at least once a month.’

‘Oh great! As if I haven’t got enough goin’ on at the moment,’ Rose said. She stood up and stormed out of the dining room.

‘Rose? Rose!’ Jackie called after her. ‘Bloody typical. She was doin’ so well an’ all. Goin’ out Friday night, shoppin’ trip yesterday, an’ then this happens . . . Pete, give Alice a call an’ get her to phone Rose. She might be able to talk her down.’

Pete kissed Jackie on the cheek. ‘Good idea.’

Rose stormed into her room and slammed the door. ‘Bastards!’

She went over to the windowsill seat and “flumped” down heavily on the cushioned seat. “How dare they”, she thought. “Who do they think they are?”. “What gives them the right?”. What the hell was she doing in this universe anyway? It was the Doctor’s fault. 

  
  


_ “By the way, did I mention it also travels in time?” _

  
  


When she’d said “no”, why didn’t he just go and leave her alone?

  
  


_ “You can't let them run around inside of dead people.” _

_ “Why not? It's like recycling.” _

_ “Seriously though, you can't.” _

_ “Seriously though, I can.” _

_ “It's just wrong. Those bodies were living people. We should respect them even in death.” _

_ “Do you carry a donor card?” _

_ “That's different. That's . . .” _

_ “It is different, yeah. It's a different morality. Get used to it or go home.” _

  
  


‘Yeah. I should ‘ave gone home then,’ Rose muttered. ‘Wouldn’t be stuck ‘ere then would I?’ She looked out of the window. ‘WHERE THE HELL ARE YA?’ she shouted at the world outside. ‘I’m gettin’ sick of waitin’ ‘ere for ya.’ Tears started to flow down her cheeks. ‘I don’t want to be here.’

  
  


“ _ Now, forget me, Rose Tyler. Go home.” _

  
  


‘How can I forget you . . ? I love you.’

Her mobile phone on the table started to ring. She went over to the table and looked at the display which told her it was Alice.

‘Hello, Alice.’

[‘Rose. Pete’s just told me about the newspaper . . . Are you okay?’]

‘Oh just brilliant, yeah. I’m thinkin of doin’ a centrefold for Playboy next.’

[‘You’re angry. I understand that . . .’]

‘Angry? Angry! Angry doesn’t even cover it. I’m, I’m . . .’

[‘ROSE!’] Alice’s tone of voice cut through the red mist that had descended on Rose. [‘Rose. All the pent up anger and frustration has finally broken out. It’s like a volcano. You’ve managed to keep it together, but all the time the magma has been rising.’]

Rose took some shuddering breaths. ‘Oh Alice . . . I, I was shoutin’ . . . at ‘im. I was blamin’ ‘im . . .’ She was openly crying now.

[‘I’m coming over,’] Alice told her.

‘No. No, y’don’t have to,’ Rose told her.

[‘Yes-I-do. And get your tracksuit on. We’re going for a run.’]

  
  


+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

  
  


Rose’s and Alice’s feet were pounding the tarmac in rhythm as they ran along Capital Ring.

‘This is nice,’ Alice said as they ran through the trees.

‘Yeah. S’pose,’ Rose said sullenly.

Alice wasn’t going to be put off by her patient’s downturn in spirits. ‘So. Tell me about your week before today happened. How’s it been?’

‘Pretty routine really,’ Rose told her, and saw by Alice’s expression she wanted more. ‘I’d get up, have a shower, get dressed and go down for breakfast.’

‘You’re eating meals with the family now?’

‘Yeah. Oh, an’ I had a sandwich in the kitchen with Maggie and Jenny one day,’ Rose remembered.

‘That’s great, Rose. You’re doing well,’ Alice told her. ‘And how are the nightmares and flashbacks?’

‘I still get the flashbacks, but they don’t seem as intense . . . I still get the same nightmare of fallin’ into the breach, although . . .’

‘Yes?’ Alice prompted.

‘This mornin’, I went from fallin’ to flyin’, an’ I told the Doctor not to worry ‘cos I wasn’t dead and that I’d see ‘im again because . . .’ Rose paused at the last part of her dream.

‘Because what?’ Alice probed. This could be important.

‘I told him I loved him,’ Rose confessed.

‘Good. Good . . . So what do you think the falling turning to flying meant?’ Alice asked her.

‘Hey. You’re the psychologist,’ Rose said with some humour.

‘You’re the one who’s having the nightmares,’ Alice retorted with a laugh. ‘How did it make you feel, being able to fly?’

Rose frowned in concentration, and then her face lit up. ‘I felt in control. I wasn’t fallin’ out of control, I was flyin’ on my terms. I was in control.’ She remembered “Toy Story”. ‘I was fallin’ with style.’

Alice laughed. ‘Hah! Perfect. And you’re right. You ARE in control, you just don’t realise it yet. That’s what the dream was trying to convey.’

‘Morning,’ the man with the Labrador said as they ran past.

‘Mornin’ / Morning,’ they called back.

‘Oh, hello there,’ Alice said, stopping to ruffle the dogs ears. Rose joined her and patted the dog’s side. He was lapping up the attention.

‘Hang on. Aren’t you the young lady in the paper?’ the man said to Rose.

‘Er, got to carry on runnin’. Nice to see you again,’ Rose said and jogged away. 

Alice gave the man an embarrassed smile. ‘It’s her, yes. She’s a bit shy . . . Sorry.’

‘No. It’s me who should be sorry for intruding. Tell her I’m sorry, and I won’t mention it if I see her again,’ the man said.

Alice ran to catch up with Rose. ‘He seemed nice.’

‘Yeah. I’ve only met him the once when I first ran through here,’ Rose explained.

‘He said sorry for intruding and he won’t mention it again,’ Alice told her.

Rose pulled up and looked at Alice. ‘I was rude, wasn’t I?’

‘A little bit abrupt, more than rude,’ Alice said. ‘I told him you were shy.’

  
  


_ “I wanted to be ginger. I've never been ginger . . .  _

_ And you, Rose Tyler, fat lot of good you were.  _

_ You gave up on me.  _

_ Oh, that's rude.  _

_ That's the sort of man I am now, am I?  _

_ Rude.  _

_ Rude and not ginger.” _

  
  


Alice saw the far away look in Rose’s eyes and the hint of a smile on her lips. ‘Flashback?’

‘Yeah. A nice one again,’ Rose said. They were nearly at Muswell Hill Road, so Rose walked to the entry of the wood. ‘This thing with the papers . . . It just feels so intrusive.’

‘Like you’ve been violated,’ Alice said.

‘Yeah. A violation of my right to privacy. I keep thinkin’ there’s gonna be a photographer behind every tree, or a telephoto lens trained on my bedroom window. I think I’m becomin’ paranoid.’

The pedestrian lights indicated it was safe to cross, and they jogged into Highgate Wood.

‘I’ll have a word with Pete tomorrow,’ Alice said. I think the PR department needs to put out a statement. It won’t stop you being famous, but it might quell some of the insatiable curiosity about you.’

As they jogged along, Rose was convinced that dog walkers in the distance were doing double takes and looking at her.

‘So, we were talking about your week,’ Alice prompted.

‘Oh, yeah. So I had a lunch in the kitchen. An’ the house manager, Alistair came and sat with me in the garden while I was writin’ in my diary.’

‘He seems like a nice man,’ Alice said with a hint of a smile. ‘Pete told me he had some trauma while he was in the army.’

‘Yeah. He was tellin’ me all about it. Lost his fiance in an ambush. An’ I think I’ve got problems,’ Rose said.

‘Oh, the poor man. Pete didn’t elaborate on the circumstances,’ Alice said. ‘I hope he got proper counselling . . . Sorry. Going off on a tangent there. Carry on.’

‘Friday night, Mickey invited me down the pub with the house staff.’

‘I hope you went,’ Alice said, knowing full well what Mickey had said to her.

‘I wasn’t goin’ to. But then I thought about it, an’ I’d already spoken to them in the week, an’ they seemed really nice, so I thought why not.’

‘And did you enjoy yourself?’ Alice asked.

‘Yeah. I did . . . I really enjoyed myself. Me an’ Mickey started tellin’ ‘em about life on the Estate, an’ things didn’t seem so bad.’

Alice reached over as they jogged along and put a hand on Rose’s shoulder. ‘Well done Rose. You are finding ways of coping with your new situation.’

‘Hmmm. I s’pose I am, yeah. An’ then yesterday, Mum took me shoppin’, which is when those bastards took the photos,’ Rose said bitterly.

‘Did you enjoy the shopping though?’ Alice asked, redirecting Rose’s annoyance.

Rose laughed at the memory. ‘Mum was lappin’ up the attention . . . just like that dog back there . . . Not that I’m callin’ Mum a dog you understand. An’ there was this bloke, Justin, our personal shopper. He was hilarious, an’ he didn’t realise he was hilarious, which made it worse.’ Alice was laughing with her as she told the tale of Justin, the personal shopper. ‘Our Henrick’s was never that posh,’ Rose finished with a wistful expression.

‘So, apart from the unexpected notoriety, how would you say things are going?’ Alice asked.

Rose was silent while they jogged along and she thought about the question. ‘I still think he’ll come back for me. I mean, we know travel between universes is possible. I’m proof of that.’

‘It’s good to have hope, yes. But don’t be despondent if it takes longer than you think. You can still get on and do things while you wait,’ Alice advised, trying to encourage Rose to look to the future.

‘Yeah. Okay. The nightmares don’t seem as intense, so I hope that continues to improve. An’ the flashbacks are bringin’ back memories of the good times. I still get a sense of loss, but it’s not as strong as it was.’

‘That seems like a good summary,’ Alice said.

‘I’m just feelin’ a bit guilty now about blamin’ the Doctor for me bein’ stuck here,’ Rose confessed.

‘’You were upset and vulnerable. Someone had invaded your private space while your guard was down. Anger is a natural reaction, and you needed somewhere to direct that anger. You can put it behind you now and move on.’

‘I s’pose, yeah. But how am I ever gonna be able to go out again?’

‘Let me have a think about that and I’ll get back to you,’ Alice said mysteriously.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	8. Incognito

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pete introduces Rose to someone who can help with her paparazzi problem. Jackie does some homework.

**Chapter 8**

**Incognito**

  
  
  


“ **_Offline._ ** ”

“ _ I've got to get it upright!” _

“ **_Online and locked._ ** ”

“ _ ROSE. HOLD ON! HOLD ONNNN!” _

“ _ I can’t Doctor. I won’t.” _

“ _ ROSE!” _

  
  


Rose’s eyes blazed with a dazzling, golden light. She let go of the lever and glided across the room, through the steady stream of Cybermen and Daleks, not one of them hitting her. She reached the Doctor and grabbed the lapels of his sexy, tight, brown pinstripe suit.

  
  


_ “Oh, my. This is different.” _

_ “Cassandra?” _

_ “Goodness me, I'm a man. Yum. So many parts. And hardly used. Oh, oh, two hearts! Oh, baby, I'm beating out a samba!” _

_ “Get out of him.” _

_ “Ooh, he's slim, and a little bit foxy. You've thought so too. I've been inside your head . . . You've been looking . . . You like it.” _

  
  


Rose had been looking, and yes, she did like it. She pulled on his lapels and pulled him into a passionate kiss . . .

Rose awoke with a groan and slowly opened her eyes. ‘Phew! I’ll have some more of those dreams, thank you very much.’

She lay there for a long while, revelling in that delicious, imagined kiss. There was something about her dreams. It was as if there was someone else inside her taking control. Not Cassandra, she had just taken advantage, used her. No this was someone else, someone taking care of her, helping her. As with all dreams though, the feeling faded, but thankfully the memory of the kiss remained.

She eventually climbed out of bed, and went through her usual morning routine. When she had dried herself off from the shower, she went through to the bedroom and opened the wardrobe.

‘What to wear?’ she said to herself. She had so much stuff now. ‘Okay. Different universe, different look.’

She pulled on some brown tights, and buttoned up a white blouse just enough to show her cleavage. She then slipped on the knee length red, cotton skirt, and only buttoned it half way down. She sat on the bed and pulled on her Giuseppe Zanotti boots. She slipped on the denim jacket, and stood in front of the mirror, turning left and right. If she stood with one leg slightly forward, the unbuttoned skirt showed just the right amount of thigh.

‘Not too shabby girl,’ she said to herself with a smile and went downstairs to have breakfast.

Pete and Mickey had already left for work when she arrived in the dining room, which just left Jackie and Rita Anne.

‘Mornin’,’ Rose said with a bit more spirit than she had the previous week.

‘Good morning,’ Rita Anne said. ‘Someone sounds in good spirits.’

‘Mornin’, Sweetheart,’ Jackie greeted her. ‘Oh Rose. Those things from Henrick’s go together beautifully.’

‘D’ya like it? I thought “I ain’t goin’ anywhere anytime soon”, so now would be a good time to try a new look,’ Rose explained as she sat at the table and helped herself to some cereal.

‘Why ain’t ya goin’ anywhere soon?’ Jackie asked.

‘I’d ‘ave thought it would’ve been obvious,’ Rose said. ‘There’ll be photographers with telephoto lenses and god knows what waitin’ for me to step outside.’

‘Oh, I doubt it, Sweetheart,’ Jackie said.

‘Mum. The bloke with his dog in the woods even asked if it was me in the paper,’ Rose told her. ‘Nah, I’ll stay here and wait for the heat to die down a bit.’

After breakfast, Rose went through to the lounge with Jackie and Rita Anne, and continued reading one of the books Alice had sent her. At around eleven, Jenny brought in a tray of tea and biscuits, and Pete followed her in with a young woman in tow. The woman had black hair cut in a bob, high cheekbones, and an impish smile. Rose noticed she was wearing the same black, paramilitary uniform which Mickey wore when he was at Torchwood.

‘Pete! What you doin’ ‘ere?’ Jackie asked.

‘Well. It’s Rose we’ve come to see really,’ Pete explained. ‘But I thought you might want to see the press release from the PR Department as well.’ He handed Jackie a sheet of headed paper with the Torchwood logo on it.

Jackie looked at the release and started to read.

“Peter Tyler, current director of the Torchwood Institute would like to announce the welcome return of his wife and daughter from Rolle, in Switzerland. His daughter, Rose has been studying at the Institut Le Rosey, out of the media spotlight, and a recent photograph in a Sunday newspaper has shown that this was a wise decision. His wife, Jackie moved to Switzerland to be with their daughter, after the tragic and appalling events of April the first, two thousand and seven. Whilst living there, she has been recovering from post traumatic stress disorder, away from media attention. Mister Tyler would like to assure all of Jackie’s followers on social media, that she will be back soon. The family asks for some privacy whilst they adjust back to normal life.”

‘Ooh. That’s good,’ Rose said.

‘Yeah. And if you think that’s good, wait ‘til you see what we’ve got for you,’ Pete said with a grin. ‘Rose, Jacks. This is Chrissie Anderson. She’s the head of Technical Operations at the Institute.’

‘Hi,’ Chrissie said, giving them a little wave.

‘She’s got something in this case which I think you might like, Rose,’ Pete told her. ‘Shall we go to the dining room and set up on the table there?’

In the dining room, Pete put a cloth on the table so as not to scratch the polished wood with the metal briefcase. Chrissie put the briefcase on the cloth, clicked the latches open and lifted the lid.

‘This little device has been retro engineered from some alien tech we came across a few years ago,’ Chrissie explained.

‘What does it do?’ Rose asked, looking at the alien tech in the case.

‘It’ll be easier if I just show you,’ Chrissie said. ‘You might want to tie your hair back Rose. Just to give us a clean impression of your face.’

‘Impression?’ Rose asked. ‘Er, yeah. Okay.’ 

‘Here y’are Sweetheart. Let me,’ Jackie said, and tied her daughters hair back into a ponytail.

Chrissie took a ring shaped device out of the case, which had a thin, translucent membrane stretched over it.

‘Now. This membrane is going to stretch over your face,’ Chrissie explained, and saw the panic on Rose’s face. ‘Don’t worry, it’s only for a second. It’ll be like having a face mask at a beauty salon. If you just have a seat, I need you to keep your face as neutral as possible.’

‘O-kay,’ Rose said with hesitation.

‘Ready?’ 

When Rose nodded, Chrissie moved the ring forward, and the membrane stretched like a rubber balloon over Rose’s face. When she pulled it back though, the membrane had retained the exact outline of Rose’s face.

‘Oh, that’s perfect,’ Chrissie said. ‘We got it first time.’

‘Got what?’ Rose asked.

‘This is the template for your disguise,’ Chrissie said excitedly. ‘Have you seen “Scooby Doo” where they peel the mask off the villain at the end?’

‘Wha? You’re making me a mask? Like they use in “Mission Impossible”?’ 

‘Not just any mask,’ Chrissie told her. ‘This is like a second skin. Who do you fancy looking like?’

On the lid of the case, was a screen which displayed dozens of rotating 3D heads. Rose leaned forwards and scrutinized the models.

‘What about that one?’ she asked, pointing to one of the heads which resembled the actress Jennifer Aniston.

‘Okay. Now, watch this,’ Chrissie said with a grin.

In the base of the case, was a circular device with hundreds of tiny hexagonal pins, forming a flat surface. When Chrissie selected Rose’s model, the pins started to retract into a semicircular bowl, forming a “negative” impression of the model. She then placed the template of Rose’s face into the “negative” impression, and pressed a button. After thirty seconds, a green light illuminated and Chrissie removed the template.

‘There we are. A new identity for you,’ Chrissie said as she peeled off a thin mask. ‘It’s a special breathable polymer, so you can wear it all day and not get sweaty . . . Try it.’

Rose took the offered mask. ‘How do I put it on?’

‘Here. Hold it the right way up, and put your nose in first,’ Chrissie instructed.

The mask seemed to spread itself over Rose’s face and gently cling to her skin. Even the eyelids and mouth formed a perfect seal.

‘Oh my gawd,’ Jackie said. ‘Oh,Rose. That’s brilliant.’

‘Where’s a mirror?’ Rose asked, and went through to the entrance hall to look in the mirror there. 

There was a stranger’s face staring back at her out of the mirror. The stranger pulled faces at her as she tried out the new face.

‘This is brilliant!’ Rose said as she turned her head left and right. She turned to Chrissie. ‘Thanks for this. I thought I was goin’ to be stuck in the house for ages.’

‘Your welcome,’ Chrissie replied and accepted a hug from Rose.

Rose then hugged Pete. ‘Thanks for arrangin’ this, Pete. I’ve gotten used to my runs in the woods now.’

‘No problem, Sweetheart. Can’t have you moping about here under siege, can we?’ Pete replied with a lopsided smile.

‘If we go back to the dining room, I’ve got something else you might like,’ Chrissie said.

When Rose was sitting back on the chair in the dining room, Chrissie asked her to take her hair out of the ponytail and let it hang loose. She then put a soft cowl over her hair, and pressed a brown coloured button on a small handset. When she took the cowl off, Rose had brown hair.

‘Instant hair dye!’ Chrissie said. ‘How cool is that?’

Rose rubbed her hair between her fingers. ‘How the hell did you do that?’

‘Nano fibres from the cowl latch onto some strands of your hair and can be programmed to alter their absorption of the various wavelengths of the visible spectrum,’ Chrissie explained. 

To Rose, it sounded like something the Doctor would say, and Chrissie saw the “dribbled down her blouse” look on her face. ‘The little fibres change colour, and so change the apparent colour of your hair.’

‘Hah! You are brilliant!,’ Rose exclaimed.

  
  


+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

  
  


‘So this is . . . Sylvia Prentice?’ Jackie asked Pete in the lounge that evening as they cuddled up on the sofa. She had a photograph album and her biography open.

‘Yep. She’s your best friend,’ Pete told her.

Because of the article in the Sunday paper, Pete realised that many of “his” Jackie’s old contacts would be getting in touch with his present Jackie. He found out the old photo albums to coach her on the people in the photographs so that when they eventually got in touch, she would be able to react as though she had known them for years.

‘What’s she like then?’

‘You’re like a couple of naughty school children when you get together. Very similar sense of humour to yours, and she loves to share gossip with you.’

‘Right. Got it,’ Jackie said. ‘Oh-my-gawd. It’s Harriet Jones!’

‘That’s right. She was vice president when that was taken,’ Pete informed her.

‘An’ who’s that guy shakin’ yer hand?’ Jackie pointed to a dark skinned man in the photograph.

‘That was the president. He was killed by the Cybermen . . . In fact, a lot of the people in these photos died that night,’ Pete said, sadly.

Jackie reached up and stroked his cheek. ‘It must ‘ave been awful, Love.’

‘Yeah, it was. But some people made it out, me included. Thanks to the Doctor, Rose and Mickey.’

‘Y’know, Rose never told me about any of this,’ Jackie told him.

‘That’s because you’d have done your nut,’ Pete said with a lopsided smile.

‘Yeah. S’pose you’re right. The Doctor just said they’d been a long way away, and Rose said Mickey had stayed on another world ‘cos he’d met someone special.’

‘Rita Anne is pretty special,’ Pete said.

‘Y’not wrong there,’ Jackie agreed, and then realised something Pete had just said. ‘Hang on. If Harriet Jones was vice president, does that mean . . .’

‘Harriet Jones is the president, yes.’

‘Blimey! You couldn’t make this up,’ Jackie said with raised eyebrows. ‘She was Prime Minister when these aliens parked their ship over London.’

‘What happened?’ Pete asked, wanting to know all about her adventures in the other universe.

‘Rose said the Doctor challenged their leader to a sword fight of all things. I thought it would be all ray guns and lasers. Anyway, he sent ‘em packin’, gettin’ ‘em to swear they wouldn’t come back, and Harriet Jones blasted their ship out of the sky.’

‘And they’d already surrendered?’ Pete asked in surprise. That didn’t sound right to him.

‘Yeah. The Doctor was furious with her. He whispered somethin’ to her private secretary, an’ rumours started circulatin’ about her health. A few months later, an’ she was out with a vote of no confidence,’ Jackie explained.

‘I wonder what he whispered to her secretary?’ Pete wondered. He knew the Doctor was clever and resourceful, but to bring down a Prime Minister with a few whispered words . . . That was impressive.

‘So what’s your Harriet Jones like?’ Jackie asked.

‘She’s been a good president so far,’ Pete told her. ‘She cares about people and she’s fair, but she’s nobody’s fool. I have a meeting with her every month to keep her up to date with Torchwood operations, and she’s always done her homework and is well informed . . . Talking of homework . . .’ Pete turned another page of the photograph album. ‘That’s Jessica Hatfield. She’s the wife of MP Geoffrey Hatfield . . .’

  
  


+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

  
  


The next day, Rose was jogging through Queen’s Wood, when she came across the elderly man walking his Labrador.

‘Mornin’ again,’ Rose said, as she stooped to ruffle the dogs ears. ‘He does love that, doesn’t he.’

‘Er, yes. He does, Miss,’ the man said with a puzzled expression. ‘Have we met before then?’

‘Oh. The disguise,’ Rose said, realising the cause of his confusion. She looked around to make sure there was no one looking, and peeled some of the mask up from under her chin. ‘It’s me . . . The girl in the paper. I’m in disguise. Sorry about the other day.’

The man’s face lit up. ‘It’s you!’ he said and then looked around the woods cautiously. He lowered his voice. ‘You’re Pete Tyler’s girl, aren’t you.’

Rose smiled. ‘Yeah. Do you know ‘im?’

‘What, Pete? Yeah. I’ve shared a pint with him in the Woodman. Lovely chap. He kept you quiet though. Never mentioned a daughter. Mind you, after that thing with the Sunday paper, I can see why. Anyway, tell him Brian and Bruno say hello. I’ll let you work out who’s who,’ he said with a cheeky wink.

‘Will do. Nice meetin’ ya again . . . See ya Brian,’ she said to the dog, and gave Brian her tongue between the teeth grin.

She heard Brian laughing behind her as she carried on running, relieved that the disguise had worked perfectly. She would be able to carry on adapting to life in “Pete’s World” for the time being, without having to worry about cameras with telephoto lenses. 

The disguise also worked on Friday night when she went to the Woodman Inn with Mickey and the gang. They walked out of the front gates, and saw a few photographers hanging about, hoping for that money shot which would pay the bills. The cameras went up, but then lowered again when they realised it was just the house staff going for a drink.

In the Woodman, Rose noticed some new faces sitting at a table with bags of camera equipment on the floor. At the bar, Mickey nodded sideways to the new faces.

‘Reporters?’ he asked Bob, the barman.

‘Yeah. Been askin’ about Pete an’ ‘is family,’ Bob told him. ‘Told ‘em I ‘adn’t seen Pete in ‘ere for a while, which ain’t no lie, an’ that I didn’t know anythin’ about no daughter, which again, ain’t no lie.’

Mickey smiled. ‘Thanks, Bob. The usual round when yer ready.’

  
  


+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

  
  


Rose was in her room, sitting in her favourite seat at the window, gazing out over the grounds of the house, a borrowed paperback open on her lap. It had been three weeks now since Rose had been pulled into “Pete’s World”, and the Doctor still hadn’t found his way back. She was thinking about the press release Pete had issued, and how it explained her sudden appearance. She wondered how Pete and Jackie would explain her disappearance when the Doctor came back for her.

She still listened out for that amazing sound the TARDIS engines made, hoping it would be sooner, rather than later when she would hear it again. What she did hear though, was the sound of the ringtone on her phone. She leaned over to reach it out of the pocket of her denim skirt and looked at the screen, which displayed the name “Pete”.

‘Hello?’ She said cautiously, wondering what her adoptive father could want at this time of the day.

[‘Hi Rose, it’s . . . Dad,’] Pete said with some hesitation. [‘Mickey has just radioed in from a mission and he thinks you might be able to help,’] he told her.

He’d called himself “Dad”, Rose realised. She’d been waiting for weeks now for him to take that step. She was suddenly happier than she had been since she’d arrived in this alternate universe. ‘Me? Are you sure?’

[‘Yep. Something about an adventure you told him about. We need you to look at a video feed to see if you can identify an alien object,’] Pete explained.

Rose wondered which adventure in particular Mickey had been referring to. ‘Erm, yeah okay, I can do that,’ she replied.

[‘Oh that’s great Sweetheart, I’ll send a driver for you, see you soon. Bye for now.’]

He’d called himself “Dad”, and Rose hoped he was ready for her to do the same. ‘Bye . . . Dad.’

Rose put on her ankle boots and leather jacket, before heading downstairs. She found Jackie in the lounge, watching some daytime television.

‘Mum? Pete . . . I mean Dad, just called me. He said Mickey’s found somethin’ that he thinks I might know about from the old universe. He’s sendin’ a car to take me to Torchwood,’ Rose told her.

‘Really, Sweetheart? That sounds interestin’,’ Jackie said. ‘Hey, y’called ‘im “Dad”.’

Rose smiled at her. ‘Yeah. He called ‘imself “Dad” on the phone.’

‘That’s progress, Love. I knew he’d come around in the end.’ She stood up and gave Rose a hug. ‘I’m so pleased for ya. Hold on, I’ll get me coat.’

‘What for?’ Rose asked her.

‘If you’re goin’ to Torchwood, I’m comin’ with ya.’


	9. Selection Process

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, this is the final chapter. I did think about ending the story at the previous chapter when Pete phoned Rose about going to Torchwood to identify the Chula Medical Transport. But then I thought it might be fun to see how Rose was recruited . . . so here it is. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to have a read, and thank you to those who left kudos. Much appreciated.

**Chapter 9**

**Selection Process**

  
  
  


Pete turned left off Aspen Way into Upper Bank Road in his BMW. He then turned right onto North Colonnade and headed for the underground car park at Torchwood Tower. His passenger was wearing a smart, business outfit of black trousers, jacket, and a light green blouse. She was fiddling nervously with her fingernails.

Pete glanced at her. ‘You alright, Sweetheart?’

Rose looked over at him. ‘Eh? Oh, yeah. Didn’t think I’d be this nervous.’ She gave a single laugh. ‘Even got butterflies in my stomach.’

After helping out with identifying a Chula Medical Transport pod, Mickey had told Rose that she would be a really good addition to the Special Operations Unit. His field partner, Jake Simmonds had agreed with him and said that she should apply for a position. They would even act as referees for her application if she wanted them to. As if being the director’s daughter wasn’t enough.

‘You’ll be fine. Someone with your unique experience will be a godsend in Special Operations,’ Pete told her.

‘I s’pose. An’ it’s not like I’m gonna be there for long is it?’ Rose replied.

Pete kept his face neutral. Rose was still certain the Doctor was coming back for her, but Pete wasn’t so sure. He’d seen what the Doctor could do. And surely, he’d have done it by now if he was going to come back. He and Jackie kept these thoughts to themselves though, because it was only the thought of the Doctor coming back which kept Rose going, and her mood had really improved over the last few weeks.

‘Well. While you are here, you give it your best shot, eh?’ Pete said.

‘Yeah. I will.’

They drove to the barrier of the car park, and level with the driver's window was a display screen built into a plinth, on which a security officer’s face appeared. 'Hello, can I help you?'

‘Morning Steve. Pete Tyler,’ Pete said to the security officer, holding up his ID badge to the camera above the screen. ‘And my daughter, Rose. She hasn’t got a pass yet.’

‘Hiya,’ Rose called out with a little wave.

‘Oh. Morning Director. Go on through,’ Steve, the security officer said as the barrier raised.

‘Thanks. See you later.’

Pete drove through the maze which was the basement car park of Torchwood Tower until he came to his reserved parking place. He reversed the car into the space and turned off the engine, before a realisation hit him.

‘Y’know Rose. I’ve only just thought about this. Can you drive?’ he asked her.

‘Yeah. Mickey taught me in the “Banana”,’ she told him.

‘A banana?’ Pete asked with a frown as he opened the car door.

Rose laughed. ‘No. Mickey’s car. It was an old, beat up VW Beetle. It was yellow, an’ ‘cos it had a curved front, roof, an’ back, I called it the “Banana”.’

Pete laughed with her. ‘I can imagine Mickey loved that.’

‘I think that’s why he traded it in for a mini not long after,’ Rose said, and then thought of something. ‘I don’t have a license here though . . . I’ve just thought, I don’t have a passport either. Do you have passports here?’

Pete smiled at her as he locked the car and guided Rose towards the lifts. ‘We do, yeah. Don’t worry about those though. I’ll get them sorted for you and Jacks.’

Pete held his pass against the reader at the side of the lift doors, and they saw the numbers count down to “B”, when the doors opened. They stepped inside, and Pete pressed the button for the seventh floor.

‘What’s on floor seven?’ Rose asked.

‘The Security Office. We’re going to get you a pass,’ Pete replied.

‘But I’m not even on the payroll,’ Rose reminded him.

Pete gave her his “trust me on this” grin. ‘Well, even if you decide not to go on the payroll, you might want to visit your old dad now and again.’

Rose smiled and held his hand. ‘Yeah. I might.’

After having her photograph, fingerprints, retinal scan, and DNA swab taken, Rose was issued with her security pass. They went back to the lifts and Pete took them down to the third floor. When they stepped out of the lift, Pete turned right and opened one of the double doors which led to the Standby Room of Special Operations.

In front of them, were a series of windows looking out across South Colonnade towards Jubilee Park and Middle Dock. On the right hand wall was a large, multimedia screen which was split into different viewing windows, showing various Torchwood information screens, a news channel, and a light entertainment programme. Facing the screen was a long sofa shaped like a square bracket, with a low table in front with cups, plates and magazines on it. There were a few men and women in the black, Special Operations uniform sitting on the sofa.

‘Morning Pete,’ they called out in greeting.

‘Morning,’ Pete replied. Rose was feeling a little insecure, and remained quiet.

To the left of the doors, were dining tables and chairs, with an “L” shaped kitchen countertop forming a kitchenette in the far corner. The left hand wall was a glass partition wall to the watch supervisor’s office. Pete went left, apparently heading towards the supervisor’s office, but Rose saw that there was another glass wall, with double glass doors opposite the windows. He opened the door for her to go through into the Despatch office, where an agent was working the Despatch Desk.

Opposite, was another glass wall with double doors, and on their right was the office of the Head of Special Operations. Rose recognised Andy McNab from when she had helped to identify the Chula capsule the week before. They saw Andy stand and move around his desk to open the glass door.

‘Morning, Pete. Rose. Come in and have a seat,’ Andy said, indicating a sofa on the right hand wall.

Pete kissed Rose on the cheek. ‘I’ll leave you to it Sweetheart. See you later.’

‘Thanks, Dad. See ya later.’ She had a seat on the sofa.

‘Would you like a tea or coffee, Rose?’ Andy asked.

‘I’m good, thanks,’ she replied.

Andy went to his desk and picked up a folder, before joining her on the sofa. He took some papers out of the folder.

‘I’ve read through your resume Rose, and it is very impressive. It would be unbelievable to anyone who didn’t work here, or hadn’t met Mickey Smith and heard some of the same reports,’ Andy started. ‘Now, how are you with technology?’

‘I keep showin’ my mum how to set the timer on the video recorder,’ Rose said with a cheeky smile.

Andy grinned. ‘That’s a yes then . . . what about computers?’

‘We could never afford one, but Mickey let me use his when I needed one. I’m okay with the basics.’

‘Good. And I notice that you left school without any qualifications?’ he said as he re-read her resume.

‘Er, yeah. I regret that now,’ Rose said. ‘I got distracted by this loser an’ dropped everythin’ to go an’ live with ‘im. Will that go against me?’

Andy smiled at her. ‘I’ve learnt over the years that education and intelligence are two totally different things. We never prejudge anyone here. We have an aptitude test which everyone has to take, regardless of their education or upbringing . . . or their parentage.’

‘Parentage?’ Rose asked with a frown.

‘Sorry to bring this up, but you are the director’s daughter.’ Rose was about to put him straight on that subject, but he held up his hand. ‘I know, I know. I’ve already spoken to Pete about it, and I know who you are. But there are others who don’t know you and are going to make assumptions.’

‘Well they can go and . . .’ Rose stopped herself from finishing that sentence. ‘Sorry . . . Not the best job interview I’ve ever had. I’ve blown it, haven’t I? Do you want me to go?’

‘Are you kidding? It’s one of the most honest interviews I’ve done,’ Andy said with a grin. ‘Pete warned me that you had spirit.’

‘Spirit. Not heard it called that before. I get it from my Mum,’ Rose confessed.

‘Look, Rose. You’ll take the aptitude test, just like everyone else. You’ll take the fitness test, just like everyone else. And, if you’re as good as I think you are, you’ll show everybody that you wear the uniform because you’ve earned it. Just like everyone else.’ He held his hand out for her. ‘What d’you say?’

Rose slowly shook his hand. ‘Deal!’

Rose was sitting at a desk in one of the empty offices of the Special Operations Unit, on the other side of the lifts from the Standby Room. The aptitude test was a series of problems to test her ability to think logically and reason things out. To assess pattern recognition and three dimensional manipulation in her head, and to think outside the box and be creative.

After half an hour, Chrissie Anderson entered the office. ‘Hi Rose. How are you getting on?’

‘Phew! That made my head spin,’ Rose told her.

Chrissie gave her a friendly smile. ‘Yeah, the level of concentration can be a bit daunting if you’re not used to it. Are you ready to try the fitness test?’

‘As I’ll ever be I suppose,’ Rose replied.

‘Okay. I’ll take you down to Medical on the next floor down for a check up, and then we’ll go up to the gym. Is that okay?’

‘Yeah, fine,’ Rose said.

The whole of the second floor of Torchwood Tower was a hospital, with an Emergency And Trauma Department, Critical Care, operating theatres, Outpatients Department, Medical and Surgical wards. Rose was in a consulting room in the Outpatients Department, wearing a hospital gown, and waiting for her results. She’d had an ECG, a blood sample taken, a urine sample, eye test, lung function test, as well as being weighed and having her muscle to weight ratio calculated. She thought that last one was a bit of a cheek.

Eventually, she was declared physically fit and able to take the fitness exam. If they went to this much trouble to make sure she was up to it, she wondered how bad it was going to be. Rather than give her the smart business suit to put back on, they gave her one of the black uniforms and a pair of boots to wear, and took her to the gymnasium.

She was met by a fitness instructor. ‘Good morning, Miss Tyler. My name is Adrian, and I’m going to be supervising your fitness exam.’

‘Mornin’, Adrian,’ Rose said nervously.

Adrian smiled at her. ‘Don’t look so worried. It’s just a series of tests to assess your fitness level. I don’t think you’ll have any problems. The first test is a stamina test.’

He led her to a straight running track which went from wall to wall. The edges of the track had LED lights along their length.

‘The lights will illuminate in sequence along the track. All you have to do is keep up with them,’ Adrian explained.

‘Oh. Okay. I can do that, yeah,’ Rose said.

The lights started flashing to form an imaginary moving line, and Rose started jogging to keep pace with them. When she reached the wall, she turned around and jogged back. When she reached the original wall, she realised that the lights were slowly starting to speed up. After a few minutes of jogging, she was having to run to keep up, and eventually she was sprinting to try and catch them up. She lifted her leg as she approached the wall and pushed herself off it with her foot to bounce back in the opposite direction.

Eventually, the lights got too far ahead of her, and a klaxon sounded. The lights went out, and Rose collapsed to her knees, gasping for breath. She rested her forehead on the floor as she gulped in air.

‘Are you alright?’ Adrian asked.

‘Y . . . Y . . . Yeah,’ Rose gasped. ‘Just . . . a bit . . . out of . . . breath.’

‘I’m not surprised. That was an excellent effort. Well done,’ Adrian said. ‘Have a seat on those chairs over there, and we’ll wait for your heart rate to return to normal. There are some bottles of water if you need a drink.’

‘Thanks.’

After ten minutes, and a small bottle of water, Rose was feeling able to continue.

‘The next test is a reaction test,’ Adrian told her. She was standing in front of a wall which had seven large buttons in a hexagon, with one in the middle. ‘Have you ever played “Whack-a-mole” at an amusement arcade?’

‘Oh, yeah. At an arcade in Tenby when I was a kid,’ Rose remembered. Cartoon animals would pop their heads up out of holes at random, and she would hit them with a padded mallet.

‘So, it’s the same principle. The light comes on, and you tap it to turn it off.’

Rose smiled. She was going to enjoy this one. ‘Okay. Bring it on.’

The lights illuminated in a random sequence, and Rose would shoot out her hand and hit them. She knew the secret was to focus on the centre button and use her peripheral vision to see the outer lights and hit them without taking her eyes off the centre. The lights got faster and faster, and so did Rose. She was like a woman possessed, but eventually, she’d missed three in a row and the klaxon sounded again.

‘Another outstanding performance, Miss Tyler. Very impressive,’ Adrian congratulated her. ‘We’ll give you a few minutes again before the strength test.’

‘Okay. Thanks.’

When she had rested, she was led to a climbing wall which had thick crash mats on the floor in front of it.

‘I think you can guess how this one works,’ Adrian said with a smile. ‘Just get to the top.’

Rose climbed onto the crash mats and looked at the wall. She was trying to work out a route with the foot and hand holds. Rather than going straight up and hitting difficulties half way, she reckoned if she went diagonally from bottom right to top left she could do it without too much difficulty. Adrian nodded as he watched her move to the right of the wall. This was a smart cookie who’d taken a little time to assess the problem instead of just rushing in.

She heaved and grunted her way to the top, and swung her leg onto the platform to roll onto her back. ‘Yes!’ She exclaimed, and lay there for a few minutes until her legs and arms had stopped burning, before descending the steps back to the ground.

‘You’re doing well, Miss Tyler. Have a half hour break to recover and then you’re on to the final test. The endurance test,’ Adrian said.

Rose didn’t like the sound of that one. There was something in Adrian’s voice when he said it. A tone which said, “Be afraid. Be very afraid”. When her rest period was up, he led her through a door into another section of the gym, and that’s when she saw it. It was like the Eliminator from the Gladiators program she used to watch with her Mum on a Saturday evening on the Powell Estate.

Adrian walked her through the course so she would know what to expect and then took her to the start. ‘All you have to do is get to the other end as quickly as you can.’

‘Is that all,’ Rose said sarcastically.

Adrian smiled. He liked her spirit. ‘If you fall or trip on a part of the course, just try it again until you get past it . . . Ready?’

‘No. But what the hell. Let’s just do it.’

‘That’s the spirit. In three, two, one, GO!’

Rose threw a leg high over a padded beam and rolled over it. She dropped to the floor the other side and rolled under the second beam, before leaping up and over a third. She ran to the cargo net and climbed to the top. Now, her gymnastic abilities came to the fore as she leaned over the top of the net, grabbed the net on the other side, and did a forward flip over the net. When she was hanging on the other side of the net she dropped to the floor. Adrian raised his eyebrows in admiration. He’d not seen that technique before.

Rose grabbed a rope and started to climb.

  
  


_ “Okay, okay, I've got you.” _

_ “Who's got me? Who's got me, and you know . . . how?” _

_ “I'm just programming your descent pattern. Keep as still as you can and keep your hands and feet inside the light field.” _

_ “Descent pattern?” _

_ “Oh, and could you switch off your cell phone? No, seriously, it interferes with my instrument.” _

_ “You know, no one ever believes that.” _

_ “Thank you. That's much better.” _

_ “Oh, yeah, that's a real load off, that is. I'm hanging in the sky in the middle of a German air raid with the Union Jack across my chest, but hey, my mobile phone's off.” _

_ “Be with you in a moment.” _

  
  


“Oh, not now Jack. I’ve got to focus”, Rose thought as she had a flashback.

She climbed up to a platform, and found some bicycle pedals with handles on them, fixed to an overhead beam. She jumped up and started peddling the handles with her arms. When she made it to the end of the beam, her biceps were burning, but there was more to come. She jumped off the platform and grabbed the trapeze. It swung forward and she “jumped” her arms onto the next one, which propelled her to the next platform.

There was another cargo net, and Rose groaned. What was it with the cargo nets already? She took a deep breath and climbed to the platform at the top. She ran along the platform to a zip wire, and slid all the way back down to the ground, landing on a thick crash mat. She scrambled off the mat and easily negotiated two narrow see-saw beams, which led her to the thing she dreaded most.

On the TV show, it was called the Travelator. A treadmill on a slope, running against her direction of travel. She had to get to the top to finish the course.

“Oh well. Here goes”, she thought to herself. She took a couple of deep breaths.

  
  


_ “RUN!” _

  
  


She ran at the treadmill and started to climb the slope. She was sprinting as fast as she could, and could see she was slowly making headway up the treadmill, but her lungs were burning and her legs were feeling like jelly. 

  
  


_ “RUN, ROSE!” _

  
  


She dived at the lip of the platform and just managed to hold on with her fingers. She hauled herself onto the platform, and took hold of the final rope.

  
  


_ “I've got no A Levels, no job, no future. _

_ But I tell you what I have got. _

_ Jericho Street Junior School under seven’s gymnastic team.  _

_ I've got the bronze!” _

  
  


She swung out and let go of the rope. She fell backwards onto a crash mat and cried with relief. She remembered halfway up the treadmill she thought her legs were giving out, and then she could have sworn the Doctor grabbed her hand and told her to run, pulling her on to the end. Her body was trembling with the post adrenalin rush and she doubted she would be able to stand just yet. She rolled over and over until she was off the crash mats and onto the floor on her hands and knees.

When she raised her head slightly, she could see her distorted reflection in the shiniest black boots she had ever seen. She sat back on her haunches and looked up the black uniform to the grinning face of Captain Andy McNab. He was holding out a bottle of water for her, which she gratefully took. She gulped the sweet water down.

‘How . . . did . . . I . . . do?’ she gasped.

Andy looked across the room. ‘Ade? How’d she do?’

Adrian came to join them. ‘Fourth fastest time yet!’

‘Fourth?’ Rose asked in surprise.

Andy nodded. ‘Yeah. And that’s against a triathlete, an iron woman competitor, and a fitness instructor. You could have taken twice the time, and still been within the allotted time allowed.’

Rose groaned. ‘Now he tells me.’

Andy roared a laugh. ‘But I’ve got the feeling that you wouldn’t have been happy with that.’

‘How I feel right now, I’d have taken it,’ Rose told him with a weak smile. She took his offered hand and Andy pulled her to her feet.

‘Let’s get you showered and changed, and you can meet some of your new colleagues,’ Andy said.

‘Colleagues?’ Rose queried.

‘Yes. You’ve earned the right to wear the uniform. Welcome to Torchwood, Agent Tyler.’

  
  
  


**The End (Or Beginning)**


End file.
